Return of the Sam
by emebalia
Summary: "I'm a friend of Sam and Dean Winchester." The stranger in my bedroom said. "I need you to come with me." Third in the Fellowship series.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** First of all, special thanks to lilykep for the initial idea for this story. You're awesome, gal.

Second, this story is the third in a series. The previous parts are **"Fellowship of the Nine"** and **"Two Brothers"**. You don't really need to know those stories to understand this one but it wouldn't hurt either. All you really need to know is that Luis is a friend of Sam from his Stanford years (he was the one celebrating with Jess and Sam in the Pilot).

This story is settled in season 9 but I'm going to leave out a few things.

* * *

**Return of the Sam**

My name is Luis Waiden. A long time ago, back in my college days at Stanford, I was part of a group of friends, the _Fellowship of the Nine_ as we called ourselves. We were young and we had a bright future ahead. We thought we could change the world.

Four of us died before they had the chance to change anything. I lost contact with the other ones, with Brenda I stayed in contact the longest but in the end we drifted apart as well, however, as far as I know they all make good money, live a good life, but they didn't change the world.

Sam Winchester had been part of our little group as well and he is the one who actually does something that matters. Not that we knew about that part of his life. Not until we got snowed in with the ghost of friend of us.

When we got out of that cabin we left two of our friends behind but thanks to Sam and his brother Dean the rest of us made it out of there alive. Sam and his brother had left immediately after that, leaving us with a bunch of unanswered questions. Brenda and I were the most curious but we dug into the supernatural only far enough to find out that Dean's death in St. Louis had actually been a shapeshifter. After that we stopped digging and moved on with our lives.

I didn't hear from Sam in years and when he landed more dead than alive on my operating table I didn't recognize him at first. Turned out he'd lost the fight against a Manticore. When Dean went to finish the job and didn't return I even became part of the rescue mission. I still get nightmares from that one.

I hadn't heard much from Sam since then. We stayed in contact only insofar as we exchanged our numbers and I kept him updated with my address. I think he didn't want to suck me into his world more than he absolutely had to but he appreciated the fact that he had a surgeon at hand if he ever needed one. So if I didn't hear from him it was actually good news.

Since the weekend in the cabin I'd been restless and that didn't change over the years. After the thing with the Manticore I had to leave the hospital I'd been working at in a hurry, I had covered for Sam's fraud with the insurance after all, but I'd been about to move on anyway.

I'd worked in different places since then, staying in one place for half a year tops and sometimes only for a few weeks, with my last stop being Chicago. Bigger city meant bigger ER and I was already looking for another option. Something more rural. Less drugs, gunshots and traffic accidents.

It had been one of the latter that forced me into a double shift that day. The police was still working on the how but the accident involved a full bus and several cars and they kept four hospitals busy with the injured.

All I could do was to work on one patient at a time and to ignore the chaos all around me. Nobody died under my hands but not all of them would walk out of the hospital on their own two feet either. I wasn't looking forward to telling a young woman who hadn't even hit thirty that I had to amputate one of her legs leaving her with only a short stump. But my shift was nearly over and it would take hours for her to wake up properly and by the time I would be back the next day she probably had figured it out herself. I know it sounds cruel but I was dead on my feet and too tired to care at that moment.

When I finally came home I didn't even bother with taking off my shoes and dropped dead on my bed. At least I was exhausted enough to sleep like a rock without the images and the screams following me into my dreams.

"Luis Waiden?" Somebody asked and slowly I fought my way back to consciousness. I felt like I'd closed my eyes only seconds ago and it took me a moment to recall where I was. Right, in my bed. At home. Where I lived alone.

"Luis Waiden?" The voice repeated and I shot out of bed. I managed to get the bed between myself and the intruder and to switch on the light to at least see the man standing in my bedroom.

Without letting the man out of my sight, I searched for a weapon. I didn't find anything suitable for a weapon unless I wanted to attack him with some dirty socks but at least it looked like he wasn't armed either. He didn't attack me, though. He just stood there in his trenchcoat and pinned me down with that intense gaze of his.

"How did you get in here?" Mentally I was searching for something to offer. I didn't have much money at home but I had a new phone, which lay out of my reach on the nightstand next to him, or maybe he would take my laptop? Just take it and leave?

"I need you to come with me." He said instead of an answer.

"I don't think so, buddy." I tried to sound brave and failed miserably. "Who are you?"

"I'm Castiel."

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm Castiel." The stranger said and after an awkward moment of silence he seemed to realize that his name meant nothing to me.

"I'm a friend of Sam and Dean Winchester." He added. "I need you to come with me."

Hearing the more familiar names I relaxed slightly. It still didn't explain why and more important how this stranger had just entered my house in the middle of the night.

Last time I'd checked I had a working door bell and my charged phone lay on the nightstand, with all the chaos going on at the hospital I wanted to be available just in case they needed my help. Why didn't he use a more civilized way to contact me? You don't just break into somebody's house.

Anyway. Sam wouldn't send a stranger if it wasn't urgent. He wouldn't contact me at all if it wasn't for a life or death matter, period.

"What happened?" I asked, mentally already weighting my options. "Where are they?"

The hospital I currently worked at was busy with the aftermath of the accident and so were the others near by. But if I pulled a few strings, called in a few favors …

However, it all depended on where they were and the nature of the injury.

"I need you to perform an appendectomy on Dean." The stranger, Castiel, said. "It ruptured four minutes ago. Sam is setting everything up for surgery as we speak."

Overwhelmed by his statement I only managed an eloquent "What?".

If Dean's appendix burst four minutes ago he had to be near by. So why sending out this Castiel guy to get me, wasting precious time, instead of heading straight for the next ER? A burst appendix is life-threatening, yes, but it is also a pretty standard operation.

It was for sure nothing that should cause the Winchesters any trouble. Not like a gun shot wound or something they couldn't easily explain. C'mon, when Sam had been clawed up by a Manticore I hadn't asked twice about the bear story Dean had sold me.

And under what condition was Sam setting up an operation room?

I must have stood there pretty dumbfounded and after a few seconds Castiel seemed to have enough of that. With three quick steps he came around the bed, cornering me.

"We have to go." He stood close now, his unblinking eyes fixed on me.

When he reached out for me I flinched back, expecting a punch, but he touched my forehead almost gently with the tips of two fingers.

I felt something like a shift and I squinted against the suddenly bright lit room.

"Luis, good you're here." I heard Sam's voice behind me. I swirled around because I was pretty sure that a second ago I'd been alone with the stranger in my bedroom, literally standing with my back against the wall.

"What the fuck?" This was definitively not my bedroom. I made another half-turn to take in my surroundings.

"I'll explain everything later but first you have to help Dean." Sam promised. "Can you do that, Luis?"

I nodded numbly. Wherever I was this was at least a medical station of some sort. From the fifties.

Four beds for the patients, two on each side, all but one empty and neatly made. The other one was occupied by Dean Winchester.

He was already dressed in a hospital gown and lay on his side, arms clutched around his middle, sweating and writhing in pain. An Asian kid stood at his side, preventing him from falling out of bed. The kid looked at me but I couldn't quite make out the emotions in his expression, however, nobody this young should ever wear such an expression.

On a tray next to the bed lay everything I'd need for a quick examination.

"The operation room is behind this door." Sam pointed in a direction. "You can prepare yourself over there." There was a small washing station. Not exactly modern hygienic standard but it would do. "We have quite an arsenal of drugs here but if you need anything else just say it. Cas can get you whatever you need."

However he'd do that.

Sam tried to stay calm but it wasn't easy, that much was obvious. With his brother laying in that bed, it wasn't a surprise.

I had no idea where I was or how I got there but that had to wait. Dean was in pain and if Castiel was right and it was a burst appendix, there was no time to waste.

I took a deep breath and stepped over to the bed.

"Hey, Dean." I tried to get his attention. "Can you hear me?"

After a minute it was clear that Castiel's diagnose was right. I had to perform the surgery. While I looked Dean over I noticed something else.

"What is this?" I pointed at a pad of gauze taped on Dean's shoulder. Sam, who'd hovered behind me, spoke up.

"He got shot yesterday." He explained without elaborating the details. "I cleaned it and stitched it up, should be fine."

I made a mental note to keep an eye on that but let it be for the moment. This, however, was most likely the reason I was there and Dean not in a hospital. An appendicitis didn't raise any red flags, a gun shot wound did.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road." I clapped my hands and looked in the round. "Who's going to play nurse?"

Sam would have been my first choice, with him I was at least sure he knew some basics, but I didn't want to force this decision on him.

"I'll do it." Sam answered without hesitation and neither Castiel nor the teenager looked like they wanted to compete for the job. So that was settled.

Another thing was the anesthesia but as Sam had said they were well stocked. Where they'd gotten all the drugs in their cabinet I didn't want to know. For me only mattered that I had what I needed at hand.

"Any last words?" I asked Dean when I gave him the drug. I knew him well enough to make that little joke, at least I hoped so.

"Sam." He coaxed out while the medication started to work. The pain eased visibly and he stretched out on the bed.

Sam stepped closer and I expected some famous last words from Dean. This were weird circumstances but I knew how good I was and this was more or less a standard procedure but every surgery has its risks. There is always the possibility that something goes wrong. Especially if you have to improvise.

"Don't let Cas do anything stupid." Dean said with dropping eyelids. "He's burning grace too fast as it is."

I had no idea what he was talking about, it was important to him, that much was clear, however, Sam nodded knowingly.

"I won't interfere as long as it is not absolutely necessary." Castiel stepped in.

"Good." And with that Dean was out of commission.

Minutes later I stood at the operating table, scalpel in hand.

"Can you do this?" Sam asked, his voice muffled by the mask he was wearing.

"Can you?" I looked up to meet his eyes. This were strange circumstances for me but in the end it was a surgery like all the others I'd done. I could pretend that this was just another hospital, just another patient.

For Sam this would always be his brother.

"I'm only playing nurse here." Sam answered. I couldn't see his tight smile but it was clearly there.

Turned out we worked quite well together and Sam was surprisingly good at playing nurse.

Dean didn't give us any trouble either and all in all it was a routine job.

"That should be it." I tied the last knot and stepped back from the table. "Let's clean up and then we can get him back in his bed."

Sam nodded and with one last look at his brother, more green surgical drape and blood than anything else, he followed me to the other room.

When I opened the door I nearly ran into Castiel who'd waited right outside the door.

"How is he?" Castiel asked without stepping back, his eyes pinning me down and I got the feeling he wouldn't take bad news very well. Behind him the teenager jumped off a bed he'd been sitting on and came closer as well. Worry was clearly written on his face.

Last time there had only been Sam and Dean, now there were these two as well and I've to admit I was curious. I didn't peg he Winchester brothers for making friends easily.

Were these people part of the other side of Sam's life? The side he tried to keep away from me as much as he could? He did it to protect me, I got that, but I've always been too curious for my own good.

"Surgery went well." I told them because it did. "For the rest we'll have to wait. I'd like to have an eye on him for at least 48 hours."

Castiel searched my eyes for a moment before he finally moved out of the way. I'd no idea what he read in my expression but he seemed satisfied with what he'd found.

"Luis, you don't have to do that." Sam followed me to the washing station where I stashed my gloves in the bin and started to work my way out of the surgical gown.

"You've done enough, thanks, man." Sam snapped his gloves off as well. "Cas will bring you back in a minute."

Now it was my turn for the pinning down glare.

"Sam, I don't know where I am or how I got here." I started and Sam actually cringed a little at that. "But Dean is my patient now and I'm not leaving until I'm sure he's alright."

Whatever kind of hospital this was, it was old and even if it had modern monitoring I wouldn't have let Dean alone with no medical staff around. Especially with the addition of the gun shot wound. No way.

Sam opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but closed it again without a word.

"I like him." The teenager spoke for the first time and gave me a grin.

After we'd cleaned up Sam and I settled Dean in his bed and I checked his vitals once again.

"Everything alright?" Sam asked.

"He's fine." I placed Dean's hand back on the mattress. "Pulse and breathing are steady. The anesthesia should wear off in a bit but he's going to sleep for a while."

With Dean settled and out of immediate danger there was time for some answers. I raised a promoting eyebrow at Sam.

"We should sit for this." Sam decided with a sigh.

Probably sensing my reluctance to leave Dean's side he turned to Castiel.

"Would you stay with him?"

"Of course."

If Sam was fine with leaving his brother in Castiel's care I was nobody to object but I made my point clear that Castiel had to call me immediately if something changed.

Only then I was comfortable with following Sam wherever he was going.

The teenager came with us and I couldn't help but threw a curious glance in his direction. So far I didn't even catch his name. But that was probably part of the explanation Sam was about to give. And boy, had he some explaining to do.


	3. Chapter 3

My first thought that this was some kind of hospital, maybe a clinic or something like that, turned out to be wrong.

We left the medical area and I got the impression that this was just a small part of a much larger building. So far I hadn't seen a window and the thick walls spoke for themselves. If the whole complex was underground or only this level I couldn't tell but everything screamed military.

We passed storage rooms and sleeping quarters before Sam turned left into a hallway which opened to a larger room.

"Did they film a Bond movie in here?" I asked when I saw a strategy table in the middle and a few antic computers at the side. It looked like a set from an old cold war movie but somehow I doubted this was fake. It was old, yes, but it had a real vibe to it.

"You wish." The teenager mumbled and led the way into another large room while Sam made a little detour to the kitchen to get us some beers. "I'm Kevin, by the way."

"Luis." He probably knew that already but we'd skipped the proper introduction earlier and I didn't know what else to say. He didn't offer a last name and I didn't ask.

I almost did ask where his parents were or if he stayed with the Winchesters by himself but I bit back that question. He was old enough to be on his own and I didn't want to treat him like a kid. He was more on the adult side of his teenage years, if he even was still a teenager it was hard to tell, and I remembered how I felt at that age.

By the time I'd taken in the old library we were standing in, complete with heavy leather chairs and bookshelves made of dark wood, Sam had rejoined us.

"Here." He handed me a beer and we settled in some of the less expensive looking chairs. I still felt like there should be a woman coming around the corner with a steel bun and glasses on a chain around her neck who would give us the librarian look of disapproval for drinking beer in her library. Which of course didn't happen. It was just the three of us, Sam, me and Kevin who I doubted was old enough for a beer but Sam had handed him one without a second thought so I didn't say anything about that either. There were more important things to discuss at the moment.

"Nice place." I gestured around with my beer, giving Sam an opening to start talking.

"Yeah." He made himself more comfortable in his chair. Now that I had time to look at him I noticed how tired he looked. "Yeah, it is."

Kevin rolled his eyes at him before he turned towards me.

"Don't mind him. He and Dean had a rough couple of days." He said, fiddling with his beer as if he didn't know what to do with his hands.

"Figured that much." I said when he failed to explain himself. "Somewhere along the way Dean got shot."

If I'm honest, I didn't mind that part at all. It was the reason they'd brought me there and even if I didn't know much about the where and how, I loved it. It was exiting, like an adventure.

"That idiot didn't bother to mention that he wasn't feeling well." Sam huffed out. "Nearly got himself killed because of that." He took an angry gulp from his bottle, teeth clicking against glass.

"He's going to survive." I assured him. "You got me here in time." I had a meaningful look around. "Which is where exactly?"

"Sorry, man." Sam shook his head. "Less people know where this place is the better."

"Did you capture an old military base?" I was only half-joking.

"Something like that." Sam's mouth twitched into a smile at that thought.

"Okay." I gave in, sensing that he wouldn't tell me more at the moment. Maybe later, I intended to stick around for two days at least after all. "What about the how I got here? Last time I checked Amazon was sold out on teleporters."

Now the teenager chuckled into his beer and threw a glance at Sam, which I translated as a _Sucks to be you_, before he leaned back in his chair as if he was waiting for something amusing to happen.

"Cas brought you here." Sam answered but then hesitated. "He's an angel."

"An angel?" I repeated. "He doesn't look like an angel." It was a dumb thing to say. Even if angels existed I doubted they were those celestial beings with harps and halos in flowing white dresses. And don't forget the wings. Then I had the picture of that Cas guy in exactly that outfit stuck in my head.

I snickered and blamed it on the double shift, almost no sleep for way too long and everything that came after that.

Sam sighed, he looked more tired than I felt by now. "It's a long story but, yeah, he is an angel."

It took me a second to realize that he wasn't joking.

"You are serious." I said and leaned back in my chair, looking up at the ceiling. I had known about ghosts and shapeshifters and manticores for years and I'd accepted that there were things out there I didn't really want to know about. But angels?

"You're friends with an angel?" Shouldn't angels have better things to do than to hang out with a bunch of humans?

"Like I said, long story. Don't worry, he's harmless."

I let that sink in. Thinking back the guy did come across as not quite right. Not quite human. However, I doubted the harmless part.

"He's taking all this better than I did." Kevin spoke up and raised his bottle at me with a smile.

"You thought I was there to kill you." Sam reminded him and the way he said it, it sounded like a fond memory.

"Well, you didn't." Kevin finished his beer and stood up. "I should get back to work. And you two should go to bed. Seriously, before you keel over."

He had a point there. The adrenalin rush was over and even Sam's revelation of Castiel's nature couldn't spike it enough to overcome the bone-deep tiredness.

We watched Kevin leaving and just sat there for another long moment.

"Are you doing okay?" I asked when we were alone. Apparently Sam did well. He had this place, his brother and Kevin, I wasn't sure about how he fit in, though, and he had Castiel the angel.

"Yeah." Sam's smile was genuine. "Yeah, I do. You?"

"Chicago isn't my place." I answered and I thought that I should call the hospital to let them know I wouldn't come in the next few days. But I didn't have my phone, it still lay on my nightstand at home, and it didn't feel important enough to ask Sam if I could use his.

Sam nodded to that and dropped the topic. "Okay, I'll show you your room."

That sounded good but first I wanted to check on Dean.

I didn't say it but I was glad that Sam wanted to check on him as well because for one on my own I'd get lost for sure in this place and second I didn't want to face Castiel alone. I wasn't sure if I believed the whole angel story but there was definitely something about him.

"This Castiel." I started while I followed Sam through the maze of corridors. "Something I should know? What do I say to him?" How was I supposed to act around an angel? Which still sounded ridiculous.

"Don't worry about him." Was Sam's not helpful advice.

When we entered the room Dean was still sleeping, I doubted he'd moved in the last hour, and Castiel stood next to the bed, facing the door.

I let Sam walk in first and tried to sized Castiel up without him noticing. He looked so normal.

"He's sleeping." Castiel answered our unspoken question when we stepped closer.

"I doubt he'll wake up during the night." I stated, slipping into the familiar role of a doctor. Keep it professional. I checked Dean's pulse and blood pressure, he didn't even stir through that, and lifted the covers to have quick look at the bandage. Spotless white, he wasn't bleeding.

"Everything okay?" Sam asked, gaze fixed on his brother's peaceful face. Sleeping he looked younger.

"He's fine." I reassured him and straightened the covers around Dean. "He just needs to heal now."

I gave him more of the pain medication which would help against a possible infection as well. That should help him over the night.

The Winchesters were really well stocked with drugs and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Not only about how they got it, more about the self-medication. No doctor likes that. On the other hand, they hardly had a choice.

Castiel promised to keep watch at Dean's side and to inform me if anything happened and with that we left. I relaxed when the door behind me closed and I couldn't feel Castiel staring at me anymore. Angel or not, this guy was creepy.

"Is he going to stand there the whole night?" I asked. So far Castiel hadn't even sat down.

"He doesn't need to sleep." Sam answered as if that was a normal thing. Maybe for him it was.

He showed me my room, a simple one but it came with a bed and that was all that mattered to me at the moment.

I didn't have anything with me so I just stripped down to my underwear and collapsed.

When I woke up, I needed a moment to recall where I was but then everything rushed back to me.

I had no idea what time it was, probably still early so I got dressed as quietly as possible and made my way to the kitchen. I could use a coffee.

Everything was quiet but when the rich aroma of the coffee filled the air, Kevin strolled in. He didn't look like he'd slept at all. He just fixed himself a mug, mumbled a _thanks_ and went back to whatever he was doing. Curious I followed him to a corner of the library where he sat down at a desk full with papers and notes. He didn't even seem to notice me. He took a gulp of coffee, rolled his shoulders and picked up some kind of stone with markings on it.

I didn't want to disturb him and left him alone. I didn't know what he was working on or why it was so important that he pulled an all-nighter but there was a lot I didn't know. I made a mental note to ask Sam later.

With nothing else to do I decided to check on Dean. I only got lost once on the way.

Castiel still stood at the end of Dean's bed, from where he had Dean and the door in view.

"Morning." I said because I had to say something when I approached him. He just nodded to that and stepped back to give me room to work on Dean. He had changed position in the last hours which was a good sign, it meant he was sleeping now and was no longer unconscious from the drugs.

"You don't have to be afraid of me." Castiel suddenly said.

"I'm not afraid." Which was only a half-lie. "I'm just …" I turned around slowly, not sure if I wanted to face him. "It's just … are you really an angel?" I bit my lip and waited for his reaction. What if I'd made him angry?

"Yes." Was his simple answer.

I sighed. Nobody around here seemed to be talkative. It was like pulling teeth. And I wasn't even a dentist.

"Why is an angel standing vigil at Dean's bedside?" I dared to ask.

"He's my friend."

I wanted to know the story behind a human and an angel becoming friends but I'd rather ask Sam. Truth be told, I didn't feel comfortable around Castiel.

So I excused myself and left. Deep in thoughts I didn't really pay attention to where I was going and the next time I looked up, I'd no idea where I was. Somehow I'd ended up in a large storage room of some kind.

I made my way through shelves with dusty boxes, having a look here and there. I was in no hurry to find my way back to my room and maybe this way I'd find out a thing or two about this place. Lost in thoughts I jumped in surprise when suddenly a voice with a very British accent spoke up.

"And who might you be?"


	4. Chapter 4

I followed the voice but it took me a moment to figure out how to open the secret door.

Then I just stood there in the opening like an idiot, trying to make sense of the scene in front of me. The room behind the shelf was dim, the only light coming through the door which I was partly blocking.

There sat a man in the middle of the room.

"Who are you?" I asked in lack of a better question. Who was he, why was he here, hidden in a secret room, I wanted to ask all that but I had trouble forming the words.

"I asked first." He answered and leaned forward to have a better look at me.

With some delay I noticed that his hands were cuffed to the table in front of him, which didn't seem to bother him, though, and that there was a thick iron band around his neck. Chains rattled when he moved.

"Are you …?" I stepped closer, a wary eye on the room behind me without letting him out of my sight either. I was pretty sure that I wasn't meant to find this little secret and I half-expected to see Sam coming up behind me. But the storage room stayed empty and silent.

"… a prisoner?" I finished the question in a low whisper.

"No, Sam left me hanging in the middle of our little S/M session to get his stilettos and a leather bustier." Tone thick with sarcasm he lifted his hands so I had a clear view on the cuffs. "Of course I'm a prisoner."

"Okay, stupid question." I let out a nervous laugh, trying to get a very disturbing picture of Sam out of my head. I licked my lips. What should I do now? Sam was holding somebody prisoner here. Alone and in the dark. That wasn't the Sam I knew. Maybe it was Dean's doing and Sam had no idea.

_Back to accusing_, I thought and dismissed the idea. I couldn't picture Sam doing something like this but I couldn't see him not knowing either.

However, there was this man sitting right in front of me and no matter how often I blinked, he stayed there. Shackles included.

The more analytic part of my brain took over and told me that he couldn't have been there for long. The man had no way to call out to somebody if he needed the bathroom for example and he wasn't sitting in a puddle right now. I didn't need to have a closer look to know that, working in an ER I knew the smell of piss and it wasn't there. Neither was food or water for the prisoner.

Just a man on a chair and an empty table.

Maybe he was part or reason of the Winchesters' couple of rough days, I guessed. Was he the one who'd shot Dean?

He let out a sigh when I didn't do or say anything for too long.

"My name's Crowley." He offered. "And you are?"

"Luis Waiden." I answered without thinking.

"So, Luis Waiden." He let the name roll over his tongue. "Who are you?"

Guess my name didn't tell him much but I hesitated explaining myself. There was probably a very good reason behind all this. Sam wouldn't just kidnap somebody and stash him here.

Was he dangerous? Probably, why else the chains?

Then another thought occurred to me. Was he even human?

Now I stared openly at him, searching for a sign telling me if he was or wasn't human. I didn't find anything but to be honest, I'd no idea what I was looking for. He wasn't a ghost or a Manticore and with that my knowledge of the supernatural had reached its limits.

"I'm a friend of Sam." I answered as vaguely as possible. He had mentioned Sam earlier so it was a safe bet that he at least knew that Sam was involved in his current predicament. And with that he knew more than I did.

Now he narrowed his eyes on me.

"Moose's not exactly known for having friends." Crowley stated. "Friends who are still alive, that is." He finished his statement but I was still stuck on the first part.

"Moose?" I repeated. "Do you mean Sam?"

"You're not the brightest bulb around, aren't you?" He snapped back.

"I'm not the one sitting here in shackles." I countered. I couldn't help but wonder just how good he knew Sam to have a nickname for him. The Sam I knew had never been a big fan of nicknames. Except for Dean calling him _Sammy_.

"Touche." He leaned back in his chair. "So, Luis Waiden, friend of Sam. What are you going to do now?"

That was a good question. I couldn't just pretend I hadn't found this man.

"Why are you here?"

"Let's play a little round of quid pro quo, shall we?" He folded his hands in front of him. "I tell you why I'm here after you told me why you're here."

I shouldn't have found him in the first place, I knew that, and I got the feeling that talking to him was a bad idea. For all I knew I could be feeding information to the enemy without even realizing it.

"Forget it, I'll just ask Sam." I turned to leave but he called me back.

"You're going to just let me sit here?" He tucked at the chains, the rattling clearly for me to hear.

"I'll be back." I promised without looking at him.

"Sure you will, Arnie." He sank back, defeated.

"I'll leave the door open a crack." I offered helplessly. "So you don't have to sit in the dark."

"How generous of you."

I ran out of the room before I could do something stupid. I needed to talk to Sam first.

When I finally found my way back to the kitchen, Sam was up and making breakfast.

"Hey, I was just about to come looking for you." He greeted me with a smile which I couldn't return. "How's Dean?"

For a second I'd completely forgotten about my patient and I just mumbled a "Fine." as an answer.

"Good. Bacon and eggs?" Sam asked while he turned back to the stove.

"Just coffee." I answered and not only because of the burned smell coming from the pan.

"Sorry, cooking is Dean's job." Sam apologized but loaded his plate with the contents of the pan.

"Are you going to make breakfast for the man in the basement as well?" I asked, voice as neutral as I could manage. He froze, pan still in hand and a suddenly haunted look in his eyes.

"I got lost." I shrugged and focused on my coffee. "Found some interesting things."

With a sigh Sam set the pan and his plate back on the stove and then took a chair across from me at the table.

"There is a lot you don't know." He started.

"You have a man chained up in your fucking basement." I yelled at him.

"He's not exactly a man." Sam raked his fingers through his hair and I wasn't sure if he was embarrassed or feeling guilty.

"What's with the yelling?" Suddenly Kevin stood in the door, empty coffee mug in hand, ready for a refill. That kid was drinking way too much coffee if you'd ask me.

"Luis found Crowley." Sam waved in my direction and Kevin just made an _ohh_ sound before he went for the coffee maker.

"Yeah, ohh." Sam mocked him. "How do I explain this one?"

I fought the urge to wave my hands and yell "I'm right here!" at him. Over the pouring of the coffee Kevin shrugged and said: "He's your friend."

Of course the teenager didn't return to whatever work he was doing like he'd probably planned and took a seat right next to me instead.

Sam glared at him but didn't say anything.

"I'm giving you the benefit of a doubt here." I spoke up. "But I really need an explanation for this one."

I could live with vague to no information to this place and with angels and teleportation and all that, but chaining someone up and leaving him alone in the dark was just wrong. There was something about that in the Geneva Conventions, I was pretty sure.

"His name is Crowley." Sam finally started to talk.

"I already know that." I made an impatient gesture for him to continue.

"Did you talk to him?" Sam asked and I nodded.

"Better don't listen to him at all." Kevin added in a bitter tone which spoke of some history with that guy.

"Anyway." Sam continued. "He's not a man, he's a demon. A very powerful demon."

"A demon." I let that one sink in. Demons were real? But then, so were angels apparently. If one existed so why not the other. "Why do you have a demon trapped in your basement?"

"Long story." Suddenly Sam looked really tired and I wondered how much sleep he'd gotten last night. "Demons are sneaky bastards, they lie. Don't go back to him, leave him alone."

"Demon or not, you can't just keep him down there." That was the part of me talking that became a doctor to help people. Knowing that we sat here at the table with coffee and burned breakfast was just wrong while this Crowley sat in that dark room all by himself.

"Why not?" Kevin asked. He was the last one I'd expected this coldness coming from. "The only reason he's still alive is because he could give us some useful information."

"And then what? You'll kill him when he isn't useful anymore?" I couldn't believe it. That would be cold-blooded murder.

Now Kevin stood up, his eyes cold on me.

"He killed my mom." He said in a dead voice. "He kidnapped and tortured me. So yeah, I would kill him."

He grabbed his mug, almost spilling coffee all over the table, and stormed out.

For a second it looked like Sam wanted to follow him or at least say something to him but in the end he slumped back in his chair without a word.

"Crowley." Sam said after a long moment. "He's not just a demon, he's the King of Hell."

"He's the devil?"

"No." That thought seemed to amuse him. In a bitter way. "He just took over after Lucifer was gone."

Okay, apparently it was a well-known fact, that Lucifer was gone. Somebody should probably inform the church. I was about to say that but one look at Sam's face stopped me. I didn't know how he knew that the devil was gone in the first place but whatever story was behind this, it still haunted him, that much was obvious.

"Just don't go back there." He turned abruptly and grabbed his plate again but it was more for turning from me than anything else. "He is a manipulative bastard and the less he knows about you the better."

Before I could respond to that, Castiel suddenly stood in the middle of the room. He turned his unblinking eyes on me.

"You should have a look at Dean."


	5. Chapter 5

Castiel didn't waste time with explaining, he reached out for me and the next second I stood at Dean's bed.

"Morning, Luis." He greeted me. "Don't mind Cas, he's just living up to his true feathered nature as a mother hen."

"Dean, you are in pain, you have a fever and your shoulder isn't healing as well as you want me to believe." Castiel berated him in a matter of fact way before he turned back to me. "Would you have a look at him?"

Defeated but not with one last glare at his angel friend Dean dropped back into his pillow. He looked indeed hot and feverish.

"I'll check on your abdomen first." I announced before I lifted the blanket. I took off the dressing to have a look at the neat row of stitches. The wound was a bit red and slightly swollen around the stitches but that was expected. It was a fresh wound after all.

I inwardly sighed in relief, I didn't want to think about what the angel might do if it turned out that my handiwork was causing Dean trouble.

"Okay, looks fine down here." I dropped the blanket.

"I always look fine down there." Came his comeback but without having the energy to even open his eyes it lost its effect.

I rolled my eyes and started peeling off the gauze on his shoulder. Even through the fabric I could feel the heat.

"How is he?" Sam burst into the room and I paused a moment to wonder why he had to walk while I got the special treatment. Maybe Cas really was a worried mother hen.

"His shoulder is infected." I told him while I inspected said wound closer. I probed and prodded and there was clearly a pocket of pus in the deep.

"I cleaned it." Sam tried to defend himself but one look at the puffy red flesh shut him up.

"Not your fault, Sammy." Now Dean opened his eyes to glance at his brother.

"The problem with bullet wounds is that it's not only the bullet getting in your body." I explained while I tried to think of the best way of action. "Usually it goes through your clothes first, taking bits and pieces with it. Not exactly sterile bits and pieces."

"I know that." Sam huffed. "I cleaned the wound."

"Sometimes wounds get infected." Dean reassured him. "So what is it, Doc? Back on the table?"

That was the question I was debating in my head right then. Easiest way would have been to put him under but he came out of surgery only about twelve hours earlier and with no modern equipment at hand I wasn't sure it was worth the risk. Even in a real hospital I would hesitate.

Local anesthesia was an option but this was a tricky area, too much to damage. I'd never longed for a fully equipped modern hospital and a full staff more than in that moment.

"C'mon, just do it." Dean challenged me. "We use to do stuff like this with only the help of Doctor Jack." His words would have been more convincing if he wouldn't try to bite back a cry at the same time.

I took pity on him and stopped probing him. "And you see what you get from that."

In the end Castiel solved the problem for me.

I didn't know what he was about to do but apparently Dean did.

He shied back as far as his pillow allowed him, muttering "no, no" but went out like a light when Castiel touched his forehead with two fingers.

"He'll sleep as long as you need him too." Castiel informed me as if knocking people unconscious with a touch was a normal thing to do. Sam didn't freak out so I decided to take it as thing that just happened.

"You sure?" I had to ask because I didn't want him to wake up while I was digging in his shoulder. There were some nerves and arteries in there I'd rather not nick. Despite the fact that I didn't want to cause Dean more pain than absolutely necessary.

"Yes." Castiel answered.

"He always like this?" I turned to Sam with an amused smile. What had I gotten myself into?

"Most of the time."

Together we got Dean back on the surgery table, I wanted to work under as sterile circumstances as possible because I really didn't want to redo this in a few days.

Like Castiel had assured me, Dean didn't wake up, didn't even stir when we manhandled him over and minutes later I stood once again over him, scalpel in hand.

Sam played nurse again and I saw him tensing when I cut open the stitches he'd put into his brother's shoulder.

The smell just reinforced what I already knew.

"You know." I started talking while I dug my way deeper into the festering wound. "When you have surgery in a hospital, you have to sign these forms."

"Yeah?" Sam hold the basin to catch the pus oozing out of the wound.

"Have you ever read them?" I asked but didn't wait for his answer. "They basically say that if the surgery goes well, the surgeon is awesome, but if it doesn't go well, it's because shit happens."

Sam actually laughed at that.

"So yeah, shit happened." I went back to digging in Dean's shoulder. "But you have the awesome surgeon to fix it."

I cut away necrotic tissues and flushed the wound thoroughly.

"That should do it. I'll leave it open, I want it to heal up from the button and not form another pocket to fester."

We cleaned up and then got Dean back to his bed.

"How is he?" Of course Castiel was in my face again as soon as we had settled Dean.

"He'll be fine." I reassured him and relief washed over his face. Not for the first time I wondered how one ended up with an angel standing vigil at one's bed. I know that people claim to have angels watching over them but until now I'd taken that in a more metaphorical way. And even in my wildest dreams I wouldn't have pictured trench coat guy angel.

I switched Dean's medication to heavier antibiotics and adjusted his painkillers.

"When is he going to wake up?" Sam asked, his gaze altering between Castiel and me.

"He's sleeping naturally now." Castiel deflected the question.

"A while." I answered, with this kind of anesthesia I'd no clue how long he would be out. "He'll wake up in his own time."

Now I really needed that coffee I'd left in the kitchen, so I excused myself and left them alone.

"Don't wander off." Sam just had to call after me from his place at his brother's side.

"Yeah, yeah."

This time I found my way back to the kitchen on the first try and not much later I sat there with a fresh cup of coffee, musing about the weirdness of the situation in general and that demon in the basement in particular.

Did demons eat? Was he starving down there? Was he really the King of Hell?

Sam hadn't come back yet and I didn't want to bother Kevin with questions like this, I didn't want to trigger another outburst. So I sat there alone with those question running circles in my head.

Every living being needed food and water and maybe I just needed an excuse to go back there.

In hindsight that was the stupidest idea I ever had but I grabbed a bottle of water and a sandwich and went to satisfy my curiosity about the King of Hell.

"Didn't expect to see you again, mate." He greeted me when I pushed the door open.

Once again I stood there, taking in the sight in front of me. To be honest, he looked harmless. I'd no idea what a demon looked like, I probably should have asked Sam about that, but for sure I had expected somebody more … impressive to be the King of Hell.

"Sam told me to not come back." Reluctantly I stepped closer and placed the bottle of water and the sandwich on the table. "But I thought you might be hungry."

He just stared at the things in font of him, then his gaze wandered up to meet my eyes. I couldn't really read his expression, something between surprised, amused and calculating. Sam had warned me about the last part and I hurried to step back, out of his reach.

"You probably should have listened to Sam." He said. "You've no idea what you're dealing with here."

"You are a demon." I said with as much confidence as I could master.

"Oh, I'm a little more than just a demon." He said the last word with disgust, almost as if I'd insulted him.

"Sam said you're the King of Hell."

"And still you came back here." He leaned back in his chair, curious eyes on me. "Came to dance with the devil in pale moonlight?" He rolled his eyes and lifted his bound hands. "Well, metaphorically speaking. Haven't seen the moon in a while. Doubt I ever will again."

The only reason he was still alive was because of the information they hoped to get out of him. The how was another thing I didn't really want to think about.

He dragged the plate with the sandwich closer to examine it.

"You still haven't told me why you're here." He made a wide gesture. "With the Winchesters, I mean."

I shifted uncomfortable, not sure what to say.

"I'm a surgeon." I finally admitted, what harm could an information like that do?

"A surgeon." He took the sandwich and leaned forward to take a bite but the band around his neck didn't allow that much movement. "Why do they need a surgeon?"

"Dean." I looked away, I couldn't stand seeing him struggle, almost choking on the iron collar. "Appendicitis."

He paused in his struggle, mouth still open for the bite, and looked up at me.

"Come again?" The sandwich plopped back on the plate, his hands shaking. With laughter, I realized.

"What's so funny?"

"Taken down by something so ordinary." He laughed as if that was the funniest joke ever.

Finally calming down he tried the sandwich again.

"Would you mind loosening this for a moment?" He asked with a hand as close to the collar as he could raise it. When I hesitated, because that was a really bad idea, he slumped down in his bindings.

"C'mon, have a heart. Just let me breathe for a moment." He begged. "I'll eat and drink and then you can put it back on. Nobody will know."

He raised his hands so that I had once again a clear view on the handcuffs.

"I still have these, I'm not going anywhere."

I glanced behind me but we were alone, Sam was probably still at Dean's side, Kevin was busy with whatever he was doing and what an angel did in his spare time I had no clue.

He was right, nobody would know. Which also meant if something went wrong nobody would know about that either.

"Never mind." He pushed the plate away. "Thanks for the sandwich anyway. You should go now."

He dismissed me and I knew the wise thing to do would have been to take the stupid sandwich and the water and to leave him the hell alone. Instead I sighed and stepped around him to have a closer look at the collar.

"Don't try anything stupid." I warned him and had no idea how I'd carry through with that threat.

"Thank you." He said and he sounded honest. "You've no idea what this means to me."

Before I could say anything to that, the air was suddenly filled with black-reddish smoke.


	6. Chapter 6

Oily smoke forced its way down my throat. I wanted to scream, I wanted to run but my body didn't obey. I couldn't move a muscle, couldn't even blink, while this _thing_ took over my body.

The only thing I could do was to scream in my head and a very small part of my brain whispered an unhelpful "Should've listen to Sam." but it drowned quickly in the rising panic.

_Calm down, would you?_ A new voice in my head said. It had a very British accent.

I don't know if he did something to numb my mind but I did calm down. Sort of. Enough to wonder what he wanted.

_Your body._ Came the prompt answer with a smile I couldn't see but knew for certain was there. _Just need to borrow it for a moment, mate._

My body moved without my command and the panic rose again. I was a passenger in my own body. I could see and hear and even smell that damn sandwich still on the table in front of me but I couldn't lift a finger.

_I'm not stupid enough to walk around in your meatsuit for longer than I absolutely have to_, the voice informed me while I watched my hands working on the cuffs on the other man's wrists. The body in the chair sat slumped down, chin resting on his chest and I wasn't even sure if he was still alive. Maybe he would be better off dead.

Was this what had happened to this man? Had there been another person in there all the time?

_Pretty much._ The voice, Crowley I remembered his name was, answered my unspoken question. _But Georgy-boy here isn't in such a good condition anymore, I need to get back before he dies._

I listened to his explanation but didn't understand what he was saying. If he could just occupy a body why would he bother with his old one if he could just walk out of here with me? For all I knew somebody, most likely Sam, could come looking for me every second now, wouldn't it be wise to escape as quickly as possible?

_You're a friend of the Winchesters._ Crowley answered my thoughts. _Taking you would be the quickest way to die. And we don't want that, don't we?_

He tried to sound unbothered but he wasn't. He was in my head and just like he seemed to be able to read my thoughts, I caught glimpses of his. And I was grateful that I only got glimpses of him. I felt something very dark beneath the surface and I had no desire to find out more about that.

However, I could tell that he was actually worried that Sam and Dean would hunt him down if he just walked out of here wearing me as his meatsuit as he'd called it.

Shouldn't he be more afraid of the angel? I mean, he was a demon, an angel should be his natural enemy.

_Believe me, Feathers is harmless compared to the Winchesters_. Crowley once again answered my thoughts. I should really try to keep my thoughts under control. That thought was met with a soft chuckle from him.

I tried to stop thinking and watched my hands working on the cuffs instead. For some reason the cuffs wouldn't cooperate. Not that I wanted them to. The longer this took the better the chance that Sam came looking for me.

The second I though that, I heard his voice:

"Luis? Are you here?"

_Bloody Moose. _Crowley cursed while I cheered. Too bad it was him who had control over my voice and legs. He hurried out of the room, shut the secret door and was on the other side of the storage room when Sam finally came around the corner.

"Here you are." He threw a glance in the direction of the secret dungeon where Crowley's empty body still sat bound to the table. "I told you to not come back here."

"Sorry, I got lost." Crowley said with my voice. "Quite some interesting stuff you have around here."

Now Sam smiled. "You've no idea. Come back upstairs, you shouldn't wander around alone. Some of this is quite dangerous."

_Says the right one, _Crowley commented but followed Sam outside. I didn't know what he meant with that but I was busy trying to give Sam a signal, something to tell him that this wasn't me. But I still couldn't do a damn thing.

_C'mon, Sam. _I begged him._ Figure it out._ My attempts must have been pretty pathetic but I had to try.

_He can't hear you._ Crowley whispered in my head but he didn't sound as pleased as I would have expected.

"Is Cas still with Dean?" I heard myself asking. It sounded normal, just a casual thing to ask, but with him sharing my mind I could tell that Crowley was anything but casual.

_He's an angel._ There might have been a light bulb above my head. _He would know._

_Yes, he would, _Crowley answered. _So change of plans, we have to get out of here before he sees us._

_What? No!_ However, I could scream and protest as much as I wanted, I had no say in this.

Sam confirmed that Cas was still with Dean and I could feel Crowley relax a little bit. Not completely, he was still a prisoner on the run and sooner or later somebody would find his empty body, and for sure not enough for me to overpower him, but he relaxed enough to enjoy this with gleeful delight.

He was on his way out and so far he'd fooled Sam. His life was good.

"I think I'll take a nap." Crowley announced when we reached more familiar terrain. I felt something strange, a pulling and searching in my memories, and then Crowley headed for the room that was currently mine. "The nights have been rather short lately."

Sam frowned at him and for a second I thought he'd caught on but then he just nodded and said: "Alright." He turned and waved over his shoulder. "And stay away from Crowley, you've no idea what you're dealing with."

_Little late for that warning, isn't it?_ Crowley's smug voice echoed through my mind.

Seconds later we were in my room and the door closed behind us, effectively cutting me off from anybody who could help me. The panic rose again and I would have been close to hyperventilating if I only had control over things like my own breathing.

_Relax_. Crowley actually tried to calm me down. _We sneak out in a second and then I'll arrange an exchange of prisoners, your body for mine. We just have to play bunk buddies for a little while longer._

I didn't believe him but there was nothing I could do. There was nothing I could do to keep him from digging through my memories either.

_You're Luis Waiden! _He blurted out as if he'd just realized something he should have known._ Sam's old Stanford buddy. You were the one Sam and his Jess were celebrating his LSAT with before his normal little life went up in smoke._

_How do you know that?_ Probably from my memories, that idea alone was scary as shit, but I got the feeling he'd known before.

_I've read the books._

_Books?_ I asked but he didn't bother explaining.

Crowley waited endless minutes before he opened the door and glanced outside. The hallway was empty but I heard faint voices coming from the library.

I still tried to fight him, to get back control over my body if only for a second. One second would be enough to yell a warning, to get Sam's attention. I was pretty sure he knew how to get rid of my unwanted passenger, yeah I know, he was the pilot and I was the passenger, but you get the point.

_Oh, Moose knows how to toss me out._ Crowley once again answered my thoughts. I got the feeling he actually enjoyed messing with my head.

_What gave it away?_

Fuming on the inside I helplessly watched while we sneaked down the hallway. The voices grew louder but Crowley didn't even bother to peek around the corner to confirm that Sam and Kevin were too engrossed in whatever they were doing to notice us sneaking out.

For some reason that was the most confusing part, or my brain had just decided to stick to something silly like this to prevent me from thinking about the demon inside my head, but was it me, him or us right now? Was this still my body or his?

By the time I was paying attention to the outside world again Crowley was half-way up the stairs to the door leading outside. He knew that once he'd reached that door he would be free. I didn't know what difference one step would make, we would still be within Sam's reach if he would finally notice that something was wrong.

I struggled with new strength born from desperation but it was no use. Crowley reached for the door and then sunlight hit my face.

I hadn't seen the outside of this place before and to be honest, it was rather boring. An empty road and nothing else. As far as I could tell we were in the middle of nowhere with no car and only one way to go.

Sam had probably his car somewhere around so even with a head-start he would still be able to catch up with us.

_Where __we__'__re going__, __we don't need roads____._ Crowley said in that smug voice of his and quietly closed the door. Then he took a step and with that we weren't in Kansas anymore.

It was just like when Castiel had first taken me with him. A moment of disorientation, the scenery changed and I had no idea where I was.

_Home sweet home. _Crowley announced.

_This is your home?_ The panic and fear forgotten for the moment I just had to ask. This was ridiculous, wasn't he supposed to be the King of Hell? Not that I wanted to visit hell.

_Temporary home._ He clarified and actually sounded a little bit ashamed. _It's safe._

We were in a trailer. A small, shitty trailer. It was old, worn down and it smelled. And every wall, even the ceiling, was covered with weird symbols. Red paint. I hoped it was paint.

_It isn't._ Crowley inspected every single one of the symbols and even cut my palm to renew a few details where the dried blood had flaked off.

I felt the cut, it hurt like hell, but he didn't seem to feel it at all. The cut healed as soon as he was done, though. Thank God for small mercies.

_Watch your language, boy._

I cracked up at that. This was ridiculous. My laughter may have held a hysterical note but it was only in my head and he was the only one to hear so I didn't care.

Not bothering with me Crowley had one satisfied look around before he dropped in the only chair. It groaned and squeaked under our weight and for a second I thought it would break right under our ass. It would just have been my luck. Which sent me right into the next fit.

_Sam will come for me._ I told him when I could breathe again, figuratively speaking, but I wasn't sure if I was trying to threaten him or comforting myself.

_I know._ He shifted until the spring we were sitting on didn't pierce into my left butt cheek anymore. _That's why I'm going to call him._

He produced a phone from somewhere and hit speed dial.

"Hello, Moose."

* * *

**A/N** _My brother's wedding is next Saturday so the next chapter may be a day late ..._


	7. Chapter 7

"Hello, Moose." Crowley said in that smug voice that sounded like mine but wasn't. I cringed inwardly and could only hope that Sam would come to my rescue. I'd been so stupid. Why hadn't I listened to him? Bringing a demon food and water, seriously, why had I done that?

_Because you were curious_, came his not helpful answer.

For a long moment there was silence at the other end of the line.

"Dammit, Luis." Sam finally muttered. Then he sighed. "What do you want, Crowley?"

I've to admit I was surprised that it had taken him only those two words to figure it out but what I could sense from my unwanted guest he wasn't.

"First of all I want you to go downstairs and have a look at my body, Sam." Crowley continued as if this was the most normal conversation he ever had. "Make sure he doesn't die, I want him back."

"Why did you take Luis then?" Sam asked and I made out a dangerous edge in his voice. The times I'd seen Sam pissed were rare, he was a friendly, overgrown puppy most of the time, but when he got angry, really angry … let's just say you won't like him when he's angry.

Crowley seemed to know that as well, I could feel a little spark of uneasiness. But when he spoke it didn't show in his tone.

"I just needed your little friend to get my body out of there but then you came around." He sighed dramatically. "I swear, you Winchesters have the worst timing I've ever seen. Now get down there and make sure I've a body to come back to or I may just keep what I have." With that he ended the call and threw the phone on the table. "Bullocks!"

He rubbed his face with one hand and slumped down in the chair.

_What are you going to do now?_ I dared to ask when he didn't move for several minutes. _Are you going to just sit here?_

That seemed to get him going. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, and I was grateful for that, but I could almost feel the wheels turning in his head.

I cursed at myself, why couldn't I keep my damn mouth shut for once?

_You're right, I don't have time to waste._ He agreed and spared me a comment about my stupidity. This time.

The sparks I got from him now were disturbing, downright frightening if I was honest. He thought of fire and pain and brimstone.

_I've to see what damage she's done while I was ... tied up with the Winchesters._ That thought wasn't really meant for me but I caught it nevertheless. I got the feeling that he wasn't used to a passenger in his head which was kinda odd. Didn't this normally work like this?

_I usually suppress the host completely, you would only get a few images here and there,_ Crowley answered my unspoken question.

_Why am I still here?_ I asked, almost frightened by my own courage. This was a demon, the King of Hell to be exact, not the kind of person to mouth off to.

_Don't worry about that._ He commented on the last bit. _Compared to the Winchesters you're tame._

I wasn't sure if that was an insult or a compliment. But I wondered if Sam and Dean really butted heads with demons.

_Oh, they do. Angels, demons, they don't really care who they piss off. Dean more than Sam but don't get in Moose's way or you'll regret it._

He actually seemed to respect the brothers.

_That's why I'm still alive._

Which made me wonder who'd crossed the Winchesters path and wasn't still alive.

_That's a rather long list. With some celebrities on it. But I don't have time for this now._

Despite his announcement that he didn't have time to waste he didn't move for several minutes and just sat there, staring at the weird symbols on the wall in front of him. In this tiny tin can of a trailer they were right in our face but I'd no idea what they meant.

_Protection._ Came his answer once again. _By now Featherhead is searching for us, that's for sure. The symbols keep him from finding us._

I wasn't sure if I would trust symbols to keep me save from an angel, not that I'd ever thought one would need to hide from an angel, but truth be told, I wanted to be found so I didn't comment on that.

However, Crowley believed that he was safe here, that much I could tell, and it made sense now that he was reluctant to leave his safe spot. On the other hand I could feel his restlessness, he wanted to go out.

I figured that while he'd been held prisoner he didn't have the chance to keep up with what was going on in the world. So it was only natural to want to know what he'd missed.

_Abbadon_. He provided. _That's what's going on._

That name didn't mean anything to me.

_She's a Knight of Hell and a real pain in the arse._ Crowley sighed. _And she wants to take over Hell._

_Trouble in paradise?_ I couldn't help but ask. For a demon he didn't seem that frightening at all. Yes, he'd taken over my body and kidnapped me but he feared what the Winchester brothers would do to him if something happened to me so I didn't feel that threatened, all things considered.

Instead of an answer he opened his mind to mine. What I'd sensed before was nothing compared to the images flooding my mind now. And it still wasn't more than a trickle.

I smelled fire and burning flesh and for a second I thought it was mine. I was burning in Hell. I screamed.

He cut off the connection but I kept screaming. It was too much.

_There's more where that's coming from._ Crowley informed me in a neutral tone when I'd finally calmed down a bit. I got the message. He was in charge here, he was a demon and I should be grateful that he didn't just open the gates of Hell and break my mind.

_You know, compared to the Winchesters you're a wuss._ Crowley actually chuckled to that.

_What, did you do the same to them?_ I still felt dizzy and my nerves were on fire so I noticed only with a delay that I'd mouthed off to him once again. He didn't seem to mind, though.

_Oh, believe me._ He sounded rather amused. _They've both seen their fair share of Hell._

_What do you mean?_ I had the feeling he was waiting for this question, like he was eager to spill my friend's darkest secrets. I admit I kinda felt bad for even asking, this was none of my business and if anybody should tell me than it was Sam and not this demon hijacking my body.

_They didn't tell you? They've been to Hell._ _Both of them._ He was in a chatty mood now. _Dean even served in Hell, got off the rack and picked up the razor right away. Took Alastair thirty years to break him but they all break eventually._ There was glee in his voice, he had fun, telling me this.

Thirty years? That couldn't be true. I didn't know how old Dean was exactly, mid-thirties was my best guess, but I kinda doubted that he went to Hell instead of kindergarten.

_Time doesn't matter in Hell._

_And Sam?_ I almost didn't dare to ask, I felt sick enough as it was.

_Our little Sammy_. Crowley made himself more comfortable in the chair. _Sam is a very special case. Did you know that Lucifer was about to destroy the earth? Sam stopped him but he paid a price._

I wasn't sure what to make out of this. I could accept demons and angels but Lucifer? Like the devil himself? That was a little bit too much.

Okay, I'd said this before. I accept this and that but this? In Sam's world, as an opposite to the normal world I was used to, there seemed to be always a "but this?".

_You've no idea._ Now Crowley stood up. _You really should read the books some day. They're online nowadays, very interesting lecture._

I didn't want to take advice from him, or believe a word he was saying, but I made a mental not to look for this ominous books.

Crowley had one last look around before the scenery changed once again. One second we were in his trailer the next we stood on a sidewalk in front of a large business building.

_Where are we?_ I asked but this time he didn't answer. My mind was still on the whole Hell and Lucifer thing, if both brothers had experienced what I'd only seen a little glimpse of, in Dean's case for over thirty years, I wasn't sure if I believed that part, how could they be sane? How could they be functional?

_Functional? Maybe. Sane? No._ Crowley answered while he walked up to the front door. _And now hush, this is important._

The receptionist asked if he'd an appointment.

"Do I need an appointment, darling?" Crowley asked. The man behind the counter opened his mouth, probably to tell him to leave because he obviously didn't have an appointment. But then he had a closer look and suddenly became really hectic.

"Sorry, sir." He cleared his throat. "I didn't recognize you in your new outfit. Suits you well, if I may say."

"You may not." Crowley brushed him off. "This is only a temporary inconvenience."

"Of course, sir." He looked like he was hoping for the floor to open, maybe sending him right back to Hell, anything just to get away from under the glare Crowley gave him.

Without a word Crowley turned and headed for the elevator.

"Stupid, low rank demons." He muttered under his breath but probably still loud enough for the other man to hear.

I had watched the exchange in silence but the way the other man had reacted to Crowley gave me a new perspective on him. He was respected. He was feared.

_I am._ Crowley answered smugly and pushed the top button in the elevator.

So far I'd only Sam's word and of course Crowley's for his status but it looked like they'd told the truth.

_I rarely lie. The truth is way more fun most of the time._ Crowley answered, watching the lights on the panel going up. _I enjoy our little conversation, I really do, but this is something I don't want the Winchesters to know about. Night, Luis._

Before I could protest I fell into darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

When I came to again – that wasn't the right word but I'd never experience something even close to this so this expression had to do – we were back at the trailer and Crowley was on the phone.

"Hope, you took good care of my body." He said and I needed a second to understand what was going on. The whole situation was surreal and the sudden change of location was just confusing.

"We did our best but you have our surgeon." I heard Sam over the phone, accusing and clearly pissed.

He was right, Crowley had taken the only professional doctor and if his body – a person, that was a person – was in as a bad shape as he'd claimed it to be ... I didn't want to think too closely about that. What if his body died and he had nowhere else to go?

_I think I said it before._ He spoke to me again in my mind. _I'm not dumb enough to just snag a friend of the Winchesters._ Aloud he said:

"Luis can hear you."

"Is he alright?" Sam sounded worried and his voice softened to almost soothing. It was good to hear and I wanted to cry just because of that. Not that I would have admitted it.

"He's fine." Crowley answered and I could feel his amusement. "He can tell you himself."

_Say something._

I wasn't sure if I could. I still couldn't move my body but when I opened my mouth, I could do that. But what should I say?

"Luis?" Sam asked when I failed to say something.

"I'm here." I finally brought out some words.

"Are you alright?" He didn't seem confused in the slightest that he was talking to two different people with only one voice.

I nearly laughed at that question. A demon had hijacked my body and he asked me if I was alright.

"Sorry, I was so stupid."

"Yes, you were." Sam agreed but in a kind way. "We'll get you out of there, I promise. This is going to be over soon. He won't hurt you."

I wasn't sure if the last part was meant to reassure me or to threaten Crowley. Either way, Crowley took over again and I was left as a passenger in my own body once again.

"Exchange of prisoners." Crowley announced. "I'll get my body and you get back your friend. Sounds fair?"

They agreed to a time and a place, no tricks on either side.

I doubted the demon would stick to the no tricks part, he was a demon after all, but I couldn't interfere anyway. I just hoped that Sam would be ready for whatever Crowley was planning. But this wasn't Sam's first rodeo with a demon so he should know what to expect.

_A deal is a deal._ Crowley said. _I never break a deal. Besides, it's always the human who tries to wiggle their way out of a deal. Think about that._

I thought about all the stories in which somebody had made a deal with the devil, there wasn't much else I could do anyway. Crowley was right, I had to give him that, in all those stories it was always the devil who kept his end of the deal. Sure, he played his tricks with the wording and tricked his victim into assumptions but in the end he fulfilled his part to the letter.

_Integrity,_ Crowley commented smugly and made himself once again comfortable in the chair.

Sam would need time to get Crowley's body to the meeting point, not too far from the bunker but for some reason Crowley didn't want to do the exchange in or close to that place. I wondered why.

_Don't get too pleased with yourself,_ Crowley warned but I could still feel his excitement so I wasn't too worried about upsetting him. He was back to claim his rightful place in Hell, whoever Abbadon was she should watch out, and in less than an hour he would have his body back. Everything looked fine for Crowley.

It was my fault that he got free in the first place and I wondered if Sam was mad at me. Would he try to capture him again? If so, how far would he go? Would he risk my life to get the King of Hell back?

_Don't worry,_ Crowley assured me. _The Winchesters would sacrifice everything to save a friend. Hell, they would sacrifice everything to save a stranger._

Sam would do that? Sam had always been there for his friends but this was way bigger than helping a friend with an overdue paper or letting him crash on your couch for a night.

It was a scary thought that a demon knew my friend better than me but if I was honest, I didn't know Sam that well. At least not this part of Sam, the hunter, the man who wrestled with demons and angels on a daily basis.

_You've no idea._ Crowley commented once again but didn't care to elaborate this time. He was busy thinking his own thoughts, I felt that but like before I couldn't make out his actual thoughts. I just got an uneasy feeling, like there was something dark and disturbing right behind the curtain, and I really didn't want to poke at that. The impression of Hell he'd given me earlier was more than enough, thank you very much.

He kept himself busy thinking his evil thoughts until it was time to meet with Sam. During those long minutes I tried to keep my thoughts even, but I couldn't help but looking forward to this. I wanted to get the demon out of my body, out of my mind. And I would happily accept Sam ripping me a new one for the stunt I'd pulled. I deserved it. Man, had I been stupid.

But Sam should have told me more about demons in the first place. How was I supposed to know?

_It's in the name. Demon._ Crowley broke his silence, at least the one in our head. _But it will be over soon. Believe it or not, it's no fun on my side either. I enjoy the quiet in my head._

When the scenery changed I expected us to appear right in front of Sam or next to Crowley's waiting body but one second we were in the trailer and the next we stood in a group of trees with no other person in sight.

_You didn't expect me to just rush in, didn't you?_ Crowley seemed amused but at the same time I could tell that he was worried. The Winchesters had captured him before and he wasn't keen on repeating that experience.

As long as it would get him out of my body, I didn't actually care what happened to him.

_And I thought you like me._

He made a few steps in a random direction, at least to me it was random, there was nothing indicating that there was anything to find in this direction.

However, after a few steps I saw something through the branches, something big and white and red. Without breaking cover Crowley crept close enough to have a clear view on the ambulance standing abandoned on a small road.

_Sam stole an ambulance?_ I blurted out.

By the way, where was Sam? Crowley had told him to stay away but he didn't actually stayed away, right? He had to be close by.

_Oh, they are close._ Crowley confirmed but didn't seem to be bothered by that. Instead he went over to the ambulance and opened the doors at the rear end.

"Hello, Georgy-boy." He greeted the unconscious man on the stretcher inside.

Of course the man didn't answer. He was hooked up to a portable life-support system, not exactly a long term solution, but it obviously had kept him alive for this long and hopefully it wouldn't be necessary for much longer.

_Time to say goodbye, Luis. _Crowley said and then threw his head back as if he wanted to scream his lungs out.

Instead there was a loud _bang_ and Crowley stumbled to the side, bracing himself at the open door of the ambulance.

Only with delay I identified the sound as a gunshot and it took me even longer to realize that we got shot.

_Why would Sam do that?_ Was my last coherent thought for a while.

Pain exploded in my chest and my screams mixed with Crowley's. We were in agony and I lashed out.

_Focus!_ Crowley bellowed at me but I couldn't. So he just grabbed my flailing mind and pushed it out of the way. If I had a front row seat before, I was kicked out to the foyer now. It wasn't the darkness like earlier but I saw and heard and most important felt everything with a distance. Which was a good thing because I got shot!

"You shouldn't have come back." A voice said. It wasn't Sam, that much I knew immediately, but I needed Crowley to turn around to recognize the man.

The receptionist from earlier, I realized. The one Crowley had brushed off rather rudely when he'd gone to his secret meeting with whoever.

A gun in hand the man came closer, a wary eye on us but he kept scanning the area as if he expected to get ambushed any second here.

Where was Sam?

"Abaddon is running the place now." He said, his abjection towards Crowley completely gone. "And she will be very grateful when I bring her a little present."

For a long moment Crowley didn't move, he just hung onto the door for support and I could tell that he would have crashed to the ground without that. The pain was still there but to me it felt far away, as if it didn't belong to my body.

_I don't belong to my body,_ I corrected myself. But Crowley had control, why didn't he do anything? He was the King of Hell, surely he could overpower this smug little bastard.

When Crowley failed to say something, the man raised the gun.

"Nice little trick. Devil's trap on the bullet, keeps you locked in your meatsuit and powerless." He sounded very pleased with himself.

"You take me with this meatsuit, you'll have the Winchesters breathing down your neck for the rest of your pathetic little life." Crowley growled at him. "Your rather short pathetic little life."

"I think I'll risk that." Pointing the gun at our head he closed the distance between us but Crowley flinched back. I didn't know what was happening here but for sure it couldn't be a good thing to be this close to another demon.

"But you're right." The man said and grabbed our arm in an iron grip. "We should leave before one of the Winchester brothers comes looking what all the noise is about."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw something moving and I felt a smile forming on my lips.

"Too late." Crowley said. "Sam Winchester is standing right behind you."

* * *

**A/N** _In case you wonder where Crowley's "Georgy-boy" is coming from, it's a reference to my story "Please God, let me die". Just FYI.  
_


	9. Chapter 9

Crowley was right, Sam Winchester was standing right behind our attacker. Judging by the horrified look on the demon's face, this came close to his worst nightmare, it probably was his worst nightmare, but before he could do as much as blink, Sam had his forearm across the demon's chest, holding him close.

"Bad move." Sam snarled and a second later the demon flashed in strange light before he fell bonelessly to the ground. Dead.

Making sure he was dead for real Sam watched him for a second, bloody knife in hand, ready to strike again if necessary. That was the hunter Sam, the man I barely knew, but when the body on the ground stayed on the ground, Sam changed back to the friendly college boy I knew.

"It's going to be alright." He spoke directly to me despite the fact that I wasn't in charge. Which probably was a good thing, this way I only felt the agonizing pain in my chest as a distant thing I could easily ignore.

Then Sam's face hardened.

"Get out of him. Now!" With the knife he gestured towards the unconscious body in the ambulance but Crowley showed no intention to take his old body back. He still clung to the door of the car and with the immediate danger gone he just focused on getting the pain under control. I sensed how hard he was fighting and I felt his grip on me loosen but not enough for me to take back control over my own body.

However, the main reason for that wasn't his weakened status, it was my low tolerance of pain because whenever I pushed forward, I felt more of the pain and I shied back.

"Can't." Crowley squeezed the word out.

Sam opened his mouth to say something, demand an explanation, when behind him another person approached us. For a second I feared it was another demon but then I recognized Dean's hunched down form. Why was he even out here? He should have stayed in bed at least for another day or two. For sure he shouldn't be out here, carrying a shotgun and an expression that promised a painful death.

"We got your body." Dean cut his brother off before he even could say a word. "Take it and go."

"I can't." Crowley sounded as breathless as Dean. "And I won't." He swallowed thickly, speaking spiked up the pain but he ignored it.

"What do you mean?" Sam stepped closer, the wicked looking knife loosely in his hand but it was there, an unspoken threat. Would he really stab me? He had killed the demon without hesitation and wasn't bothered in the slightest by the body on the ground right next to him.

"He shot me." Crowley even managed to sound offended. "There's a devil's trap carved in the bullet. I can't leave this body."

"Of course." Dean cussed under his breath but it lost its impact when he needed to lean on the side of the ambulance to stay on his feet. The shotgun stayed steady in his hand, though.

"Let's dig out the slug, then." Dean suggested.

Now Crowley pushed away the pain and straightened up as far as he could.

"Even if you do that, I won't leave this body." He said matter-of-factly, looking Sam in the eye who was still dangerously close with that knife of his.

"Why not?" Sam frowned at him but seemed willing to listen.

"Because he shot me in the chest, moron." He gestured at the obvious hole in our chest. "I'm the only thing, keeping dear little Luis alive right now."

If my heart had been beating in that moment it would have stopped. But paying attention to it and not my whole chest for once I realized that my heart wasn't beating. With raising panic I waited for the next beat, tried to will it to beat, but it didn't move.

_Stop that._ Crowley snarled at me. _You're making it worse._

"Super." Dean threw is free hand up as far as he could without jarring his shoulder wound and then looked at his brother who seemed just as clueless as the rest of us.

"Back to the bunker?" Sam suggested. "Sort it out there?"

I could tell that Crowley wasn't fond of that idea. The bunker was the last place he wanted to be right now.

"Cut it, Crowley." Dean said. "Bunker. Now. Before more of your friends show up." With that he banged the barrel of the shotgun against the side of the ambulance. "Get in there."

We got in first, followed by Dean who needed his brother's assistance to get in the back of the car and then we sat there face to face with Crowley's body between us.

Sam drove like a granny but he had three injured people, one with a loaded shotgun, in the back so I didn't blame him. I still felt every pothole.

By now Crowley had the pain more or less under control, the bullet still a throbbing hot poker in our chest, but I could feel him carefully taking stock of our situation.

_I don't want to worry you._ He finally said to me. _But this isn't looking good for you._

_What do you mean?_ I felt an icy fist in my stomach. Chest wounds were never good news.

_The bullet went through your heart._ He stated in a clinical way. _I'm keeping the heart from beating right now but the second I leave it'll start moving again. You'll be dead within seconds._

I think I passed out at that revelation.

I came to to a beeping and for a second I just cursed at my alarm clock. Then I realized two things. I couldn't stretch out my arm to find that damn clock and for some reason it sounded more like a medical alarm.

Awake in a second I bolted upright. Only with a delay I noticed that my body actually had followed through with that move but then my focus was on the man lying on the stretcher in front of me. His condition hadn't been good from the beginning but now the portable life-support system told me that he got worse.

I shoved everything else aside and just focused on the task at hand. The man was dying. I was a doctor.

Dean's eyes were on the patient, however, he clearly didn't know what to do. He still held that shotgun, though.

"Dean." I bellowed. "Put that thing down and give me a hand."

He threw me an annoyed glance but then something changed in his expression.

"Luis?"

"Stop wasting time and help me." I didn't have time to wonder why I was back in charge now. And for once Crowley didn't interrupt me with snarky comments.

The man's heart stopped at some point, just like mine but I refused to think about that. For now.

I managed to stabilize him. Also for now.

While I worked on him I noticed several wounds on his torso.

_I could give you a list,_ Crowley offered.

It would be good to know what kind of damage I was dealing with but I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear it. This was hitting way too close to home.

Sam parked the ambulance and then we rushed our patient on the stretcher back to the medical area.

Crowley used the time to provide me with the details of the injuries he'd collected over the years and I had to admit, there was nothing I could do. The body was closing down and at this point the only thing I could do was to take away the pain and let nature take its course. I doubted the man would gain consciousness again which in this case was a good thing.

I'm proud to say that I hesitated. I could, should, let him die. Everything else would only prolong his suffering.

I'm not so proud to say that a second later I faltered. Crowley needed a body to return to. I needed this body to stay alive for a little while longer.

_Better him than another poor bastard._ Crowley agreed. _And I've to say, I got used to that face in the mirror._

"That should do it." I stepped back from the bed and had one last look at the screen showing the vitals. Not great but he was alive. With any luck he would stay that way for a while.

Only then I really noticed that we weren't alone anymore. Sam had given me a hand while I worked on my patient so of course he was there.

Dean sat on his bed, slumped down and clearly in pain but for now he refused to lay down.

Castiel and Kevin were there as well, watching in silence and with worried expressions on their faces. With the angel I wasn't sure if it counted as worried, though.

"What happened?" Kevin broke the moment of silence and I've to admit I'd no idea at which point he'd joined us and if anybody had filled him in by now.

"Crowley got shot with a special bullet and we have to get rid of it before he can leave Luis." Sam summed up the situation.

_He doesn't know,_ I realized.

_You want to tell him or should I?_ Crowley offered. He had stayed quiet and let me work but now I felt him taking over again. I fought him, of course, but in the end he overpowered me and I was back to being a passenger in my own body.

"This was Luis right now, wasn't it?" Kevin asked with a gesture in the general direction of me and my patient.

"I let him come out to play for a little while." Crowley said and Kevin flinched back at his voice. "But I'm in charge now."

"You're next." Sam came up close behind us and I wondered where he'd left his knife. He jerked his head in the direction of a fresh bed, at this pace we'd run out of fresh beds soon here. "Lay down."

"Oh, Sam." Crowley turned and faced him with a mock amorous voice. "I didn't know."

"To get the bullet out." Sam clarified with a face clearly telling Crowley that he had enough of this shit.

"I don't think so."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Castiel stepping closer. He didn't say anything but he didn't need to, the message was clear.

"Don't get your feathers ruffled." Crowley easily dismissed him and turned his attention back to Sam. Out of all the persons present Sam was probably the one most willing to listen. "I'm trying to save your friend's life here."

"What do you mean?"

"The bullet went through the heart." Crowley spoke to him like Sam was a five-year-old. "I'm keeping it still because every beat would rip it farther apart, pumping blood everywhere except for where it should go. You putting you Cro-Magnon paws in there?" He shook his head. "Not a smart move."

"Okay, then." Dean tried to hop from the bed but only managed to not so gracefully stumble to his feet. Kevin was at his site in an instant but Dean swatted his helping hand away. "Trip to the hospital."

"Ahh." Crowley made a weighting motion, his hands raised like scale pans. "Bad idea."

Being an ER surgeon I saw the problem here. By now I could think about my situation in a more clinical way. Crowley was right, if my heart started beating again I would be dead within seconds, the wound was fatal. And the first thing they would do in an ER was to try to get my heart back to beating.

They would need to perform surgery in my current state, I realized. Which was fucked up by the way.

_Good luck trying to explain to a doctor that he shouldn't be worried about the cardiac arrest and just do the surgery_, I thought. _I'm so screwed._


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N** _Several people pointed out to me that demons don't need their meatsuit to be alive. Maybe it's just my head-canon but I firmly believe that the person has to be alive for the demon to get in (and I think the show supports the idea)._

_Anyway, for this story I'll go with "We need to keep the body alive so Crowley can get back in."_

* * *

There was a moment of silence during which all of us tried to grasp the severity of the situation in full. I think I was the one who really knew how bad it looked for me but I saw realization dawning on Sam's face too. I kinda spaced out the others, focusing on the one person I truly called a friend. Sam was the one who solved the problems, it had been that way back at Stanford and for sure he hadn't changed that much over the last few years. At least not when it came to how his mind worked.

Crowley kept quiet, too. However, I wasn't sure if it was just because he ran out of snarky comments.

"Cas?" Dean turned to his angel friend, who gave me one long look before he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Dean." He said with something like regret in his voice. "As long as Crowley is possessing him I can't heal him. And I'm not sure if I'm quick enough to heal him once Crowley has left."

Dean nodded to that as if he'd expected his answer.

"Great. What now?" He made a helpless gesture. "Hook him up with a car battery until we've built him an arc reactor?"

"I'm not sure if you can actually built something like that." Cas answered as if he was honestly considering the option which painted the ghost of a smile on Dean's lips.

"For now Crowley is our battery." Sam jumped on that train of thoughts. "So we have some time to figure this out."

He turned towards me with a questioning look on his face. "Luis?"

"He can hear you Moose." Crowley answered instead. "But for now it's me you have the pleasure with."

Sam made a face but didn't comment on that.

"I'm just thinking, Luis is a surgeon ..." He said, leaving the thought unfinished but I got where he was heading. I'd thought in that direction as well. Going to an ER was out of option but I was more than capable of performing the surgery. Under different circumstances.

"Let me talk to him." I demanded but was actually surprised when I said the words out loud instead of just in my head.

_What?_ He sounded smug. _I want this to come to a good end as well. And good end means me and you on separate ways._

"Luis?" Sam asked again but it took me a moment to give him a confirming nod, it was hard to focus on two conversations at the same time.

"Yeah, it's me."

"You know how confusing this is?" Dean threw in from his place where he was still leaning against the bed with Kevin close by to prevent him from face-planting. "When you've no idea who's talking?"

"I'm sorry if my predicament is confusing to you, Dean." Crowley snarled back at him.

"See what I mean?" Dean made an impatient gesture in our direction while looking around for confirmation. "Can't you at least flash your eyes when you switch? Like a Tok'ra or something?"

"Goa'uld." Kevin corrected.

"What?"

"He's evil, so he would be a Goa'uld." Kevin clarified with a glare at us. I hoped it was directed at Crowley.

"Whatever." Dean dismissed him. "How about you let Luis run the show and sit back for once until we've figured this out, asshat?"

Crowley narrowed his eyes on him and I felt his urge to just make Dean scream but to my surprise he had himself under control and didn't give in to his dark thoughts.

_Your show_, he said instead.

"Okay, it's me again." I tried to say and true to his word I was back in control again. To be honest, this was more frustrating than being forced to be the passenger in my own body. I never knew when Crowley just decided to take over again and with building anticipation I waited for him to do that just because he could and because he knew how much that threw me off every single time.

_My body is dying,_ he reminded me. _We're running out of time._

"Could you do it yourself?" Sam brought the conversation back to the topic.

"Maybe." I said but I felt as convinced as that sounded. "I'd have to work via a mirror." I tried to picture that. Opening my own chest, holding my own not beating heart in my hands. Suddenly I felt nauseous and I swayed on my feet.

"Hey." Sam was at my side in a heartbeat, generally speaking because my heart didn't freaking beat. "Take a deep breath. Easy, it's okay."

Taking said deep breath I felt better but at the same time I wondered why I actually could do that without feeling the pain. Thinking about it I didn't feel any pain at all.

_You can thank me later._

"I don't think that would work." I swallowed against the bile I could taste in the back of my throat. "Working via mirror would be difficult by itself but I doubt I can reach it properly." I demonstrated what I meant by imitating holding a scalpel to my breastbone. "Open heart surgery is nothing to fool around with."

Seeing the problem Sam nodded. "Crowley can keep your body alive for as long as you need him to." He said not just yet dismissing the idea. He was right, though, this was my only option. "I can assist you."

I wasn't convinced, in fact I was pretty sure that I was about to butcher my own heart, but I nodded and mentally started to gather the things I'd need to perform the operation.

"If I go slow ..." This wasn't about slow or fast, this was about digging out a bullet, which already had gone through my heart once, without causing farther damage and repairing the existing damage after that. Easy as pie.

"I can assist your healing once Crowley has left your body." Castiel offered but judging by the look Dean threw him he wasn't fond of that idea.

"Cas." He said.

"I have more than enough grace left, Dean." Cas fixed him with a stern look. "If I want to use part of it to help your friend, it is my choice."

"You'll need to help me out a lot." I wasn't sure what the angel actually could do. He had brought me here to treat Dean's appendicitis and this was slightly more complicated. "I highly doubt I can do a better job than any of you like this. I'd probably better off if Sam did it, at least he can reach the area properly and can see what he's doing." I didn't mean to say it like that but being realistic I knew my chances weren't good here.

"No way." Sam raised his hands and made an unconscious step back. "I can put stitches in a gash and I can dig a bullet out of your leg but that's it. I can't patch up your heart. I wouldn't even know where to start."

I let my head hung in resignation.

"Yeah, I know." I said in a low whisper.

_Man up_, Crowley spoke up. _You're the only one who can do it, so do it!_

To my surprise it was Dean who noticed my distress, the one on top of the I-got-shot-in-the-heart-and-am-possessed-by-a-demon distress.

"Luis." Dean tried to get my attention but it took me a moment to switch from Crowley to Dean. "Realistically speaking, what are your chances?"

"Dean." His brother warned him, however, now all eyes were on me, waiting for an answer.

I took a breath to calm myself.

"Under normal circumstances I would have been dead the second I got shot." I forced myself into my doctor mindset. I was talking about a patient, just a patient, nothing personal.

"Like this?" I addressed the not so normal circumstances. "With a good surgeon, a good staff and the right equipment? Sixty percent. Maybe seventy. Doing it myself? I'm not sure we should even bother."

Suddenly I couldn't look anyone in the eye anymore.

_Maybe I should come to terms with Crowley being the devil on my shoulder for the rest of my life,_ I thought. Aloud I said: "Please, I need a moment." And with that I bolted out of the room.

"Luis, wait." I heard Sam calling after me but nobody actually tried to stop me.

_I'm not that bad of a roommate,_ Crowley whispered in my ear.

"Shut up!"

I didn't know where I was going, I just took off in a random direction. I needed to get away, I needed a moment to think, to breathe.

What did I have to lose? Seriously. Even if I screwed up the operation, which was highly likely, I couldn't be worse off than I already was. As long as Crowley did what he was doing, I was basically immortal.

_I could kill you in a heartbeat. Literally._ Crowley just had to remind me of that, hadn't he?

Killing me was an empty threat, we both knew that, however, I felt him warming up to the idea of being stuck like this. I didn't need to read his mind to know exactly where his thoughts were heading.

He could use me as a hostage.

_Beats dying,_ he offered and didn't deny the hostage situation.

That did it. I turned on my heel and ran back to the med station.

I burst into the room in the middle of a heated discussion on where to snag another surgeon.

"No!" I cut in rather dramatically. "You're not going to kidnap somebody, force him to perform a risky operation under circumstances he doesn't understand and then just kick him out after he's killed me."

"Luis." Sam started but I cut him off.

"No, you're not going to traumatize another person over this. Just no." I had set my mind. This was on me. So it was on me to set it right. And if I couldn't I would be the one to pay the price, it was only fair.

"I don't think we have another option here." Sam helplessly spread his arms. "You can't do it and believe me, playing meatsuit is not an option either."

"I'll do it."

Sam blinked at me. "You sure?"

"No." I shook my head. "But I have to try. And if I screw up … I don't want to … you know how to cast him out, right? Kick his ass back to hell?

"I do." Sam said thickly, his words holding the promise to do everything he could to help me.

_No need to be overly dramatic,_ Crowley said. _The only reason I'm still here is to keep you alive. If you don't want me here anymore …_

I didn't answer and focused on what I was about to do instead. Did I mention that I was screwed?

During all this Kevin had been the most quiet. As if he'd been thinking about something.

"Maybe …" He spoke up, obviously not sure if he should say anything at all. "There might be a way to increase your chances."


	11. Chapter 11

"What do you mean?" Dean asked while Kevin shifted under the sudden attention he got.

"I'm not sure." He admitted. "I think I saw something on the demon tablet that could help us here." He paused, his gaze wandering over to the bed where the still body lay, the only proof that he was still alive the steady bleeping of the monitors and the whooshing of the vent.

I'd no idea what Kevin was talking about but everybody else in the room, including Crowley, perked up with interest at his words.

"He's not going to die in the next hour?" Kevin asked, the question directed at me and it once again made me realize the absurdity of the situation.

I thought about it for a moment. The man wasn't in his best condition and it was only a matter of time until his body would just give up.

"We have some time." I said as vaguely as possible. I was pretty sure that the machine could keep him like this for a while but there were limits.

"Good, I've to check something." With that Kevin took off running and after a second Sam was right behind him.

"Okay." Dean drew out the word, eyes on the slowly closing door. He leaned more heavily on the bed now. He was pale and sweating and should rather lay in that bed than using it as a crutch.

_Good luck telling him that._

"Dean, bed." I used my best doctor voice. "I want to have a look at your wounds."

While Sam and Kevin where doing whatever they were doing I could either freak out over my situation or do something useful like looking after Dean.

Dean didn't look happy but in the end he dropped on the bed with a relieved sigh he couldn't completely suppress. I could only imagine the pain he had to be in. When did he have his last dose of painkillers? And going out there on a rescue mission wasn't exactly what the doctor had ordered either. I should know.

Both wounds looked good, all things considered. No pulled stitches, no bleeding and even the shoulder wound seemed to heal nicely now. It would take a while before he would be able to move his arm fully again, though.

"You'll live." I told him and taped a fresh patch of gauze over his shoulder wound.

He hummed to that without looking me in the eye and accepted the pill I gave him without a word. Looked like me dying had its perks after all.

After Dean was settled in bed I went over to my other patient to check on him as well.

_I don't even know your name,_ I thought when I studied his face.

_His name was George,_ Crowley answered, his voice almost gentle. _A long time ago._

There was nothing I could do for George and looking at him for too long only made me doubt if I was doing the right thing here. Forcing the demon back on him.

_It's not that he's actually still there,_ Crowley provided but I wasn't sure if I believed him. It seemed like the easy way out.

_Look, mate._ I could almost hear him sigh at the end there. _I'm not telling you what to do, that's up to you, but between you and me, what are your chances here?_

I didn't have an answer to that.

_Exactly_.

_What's your point?_

_I've Georgy-boy here._ He turned our gaze back to the man on the bed. Without me noticing he'd taken over again. We stood with our back to Dean and Cas and neither of them would be able to tell if something was wrong.

_I don't need you._ He continued. _But you need me._

_What do you want?_

_No, what do you want, Luis?_ He threw the question back at me. _Do you want to die? To cut open your own chest? That sounds pretty much like suicide to me. What do you think?_

_I have to try._

_We could just leave. _He suggested._ Just turn around and leave. It only takes a moment to dig out the bullet and I'll have my powers back._

_What happened to not agitate the Winchesters? _I shot back with rising panic. If he decided to leave there was nothing I could do to stop him.

_I'm not their favorite person as it is and let's face it, you're a dead man walking._ He paused while he turned our head just far enough to catch Castiel in the corner of our eye. _What do you think happens after you failed to save your life? They let me go? Just like that?_

_What makes you think they would let you go now?_ I hadn't thought about it but now I got the feeling that Cas wasn't still here just to watch Dean dozing in his bed.

_Oh my dear friend, there is a way to get rid of Feathers. At least for a while._

An image flashed behind my eyes, something drawn in blood. I didn't know the symbols but they reminded me of the ones in Crowley's trailer.

_Why are we even discussing this?_ I asked, by now used to having a conversation in my head.

He was in control, he could do whatever he wanted.

I didn't get it. On one hand he tried everything to please the Winchesters to not end up on their bad side and on the other hand he tried to bribe me into staying like this. Why did he even care if I lived or died?

_I like you,_ he answered the last part which didn't help me to figure out the reason behind his behavior. _Isn't that reason enough?_

_No,_ I shot back. _And while you're asking, we're not leaving. I'm going to perform the surgery and then you can go back to your Georgy-boy. If I die over this, than be it._

The words sounded more brave than I felt and with him right there in my mind for sure he knew it but he didn't comment on it. I even felt something coming from him, like he was proud of me.

I wasn't getting an answer out of him and before I could brood over it too much, an alarm startled me out of my thoughts.

"What is it?" Castiel stood next to me a second later, I wasn't sure if he had even walked the little distance.

"His oxygen is too low." I hurried over to the other side of the bed and adjusted the oxygen supply. Holding my breath I waited for his vitals to come back to normal and when they finally did I breathed in relief. Only then I noticed that I'd been in control for the last few minutes.

Crowley was screwing with me again and I still had no idea what he was up to. If anything at all, he could be screwing with me just for the hell of it.

"That looks better." I nodded to myself just because I could but Georg's vitals were back to okay-ish and that was all I could ask for.

Crowley left me alone for a while so all I could do was wait. And wonder what Kevin had in mind. Everything that increased my chances was good but I'd no idea what that might be.

Kevin and Sam returned after almost an hour, engaged in a heated discussion.

"... believe me it's not that easy." Sam finished a sentence and Kevin opened his mouth to say something in return but they were cut off by Dean coming up to a sitting position with a bitten back cry.

"Dean." Discussion forgotten Sam was at his brother's side, one hand on his good shoulder to prevent him from falling out of bed.

"You found something?" Dean ignored his brother, but didn't shake his hand off, and addressed Kevin with his question.

"Well …" He shifted from one foot to the other, clearly avoiding looking in my direction. "There is a way to separate the soul of the host from the demon. Temporarily."

There was a moment of silence and then I asked the question which was on everybody's mind.

"That's going to help me how?"

"I thought you could stand next to your body and perform the surgery like you'd normally do it." Kevin said it like it was a reasonable plan. "Sam could assist you." He added somewhat meekly.

"That's not how it works." Dean spoke up.

"That's what I was trying to tell him." Sam said with an impatient gesture in Kevin's direction. "Remember how hard it is to move one single object, Dean?"

"Yeah." Dean didn't look like he wanted to remember and I wondered what backstory I was missing now.

_Read the books._

"But that gave me an idea." Sam turned to me now. "You can't do it yourself that way but you'll have a clear view on what's happening in …" He cleared his throat.

"In my chest." I completed the sentence for him. "And for the record, this is the craziest plan I've ever heard."

_Seriously, read the books._

_Shut up!_

I took a deep breath, which only reminded me of my little problem, and tried to calm down enough to picture what they were saying. Split me in two so I could perform surgery on myself. Great plan. That had never ended well on Star Trek either.

"You won't be able to perform the surgery yourself." Sam continued as if he was reading my mind. "Even with years of practice you wouldn't be able to do something delicate like this. But what if I do it and you guide me?"

"Let me get this straight. You want to separate my soul from my body so I can stand next to myself and coach you through the operation?" I shook my head in disbelieve, this was insane.

"It sounds crazier when you sum it up like this." Dean admitted.

"You may land a plane that way but open heart surgery?" Did I mention that this was insane? Sam didn't look happy with the idea either but he had offered to do it and that alone warmed my cold, not beating heart.

"Think about it, man." Dean took his brother's side. "It beats poking around your own chest in an awkward angle and without clear view. Believe me, I know how essential a clear view is."

Another cryptic comment I didn't have the time to think about.

They were right, this was far from optimal but it was better than the original plan.

"I may not be able to heal you completely." Now Castiel came out of his stoic silence. "But I'll do what I can to minimize the damage once Crowley has left your body."

It didn't sound reassuring at all.

"I have the spell here." Kevin held up a piece of paper. "Are we doing this or not?"

I wanted to say that I still thought it was insane but that we were out of options, however, once again I didn't have control over my body.

_Damn it, Crowley._

"Well, isn't this a lovely plan?" He said in his smug voice that wasn't at all like mine.

"You have any better ideas?" Sam growled at him.

"You know, Moose." He walked up and down they room, for some reason quite pleased with himself. "Somebody once told me that we demons are only spirits. How did he phrase it? Oh, right: Twisted, perverted, evil spirits, but end of the day, we're nothing but ghosts with an ego." He tried to imitate a voice I didn't recognize but judging by the looks on Sam and Dean's faces they knew exactly who he was referring to.

"What's your point, Crowley?" Dean could barely hold himself upright but his gaze promised bloody murder if Crowley didn't come to the point any time soon.

"As you know, Dean, Hell is all about inflicting damage and pain, we know how to take a body apart but we're not so good at putting it back together."

"You're not helping."

"But there is something we are the masters of, aside from the torture." He stopped to have a look around but nobody seemed to get what he was heading for. "Possession."


	12. Chapter 12

"Possession."

There was a moment of stunned silence during which at least I tried to figure out what Crowley was trying to say here.

"I'll do it." Dean proclaimed, apparently already a few steps ahead of me.

"What?" In disbelieve Sam turned to his brother. "No."

"Why not?" Dean asked. "Let's face it, I'm the best candidate for this. I know my way around with a scalpel and I know my way around a human body." He started strong and confident but in the end he lowered his voice almost as if he was ashamed of his abilities.

_Oh, he is._

"And your shoulder?" Sam pointed out.

"Luis can override that."

"And bust it up for good?" Sam shot back. "Not happening."

"You have any better ideas?"

This looked like it was about to turn into a real argument between the brothers. I felt Crowley leaning back in amusement while I just stared at the brothers with still no clue what they were even arguing about.

Cas and Kevin looked as puzzled as I felt, Cas with a birdlike tilt of his head and eyes narrowed on the two men and Kevin looking from Dean to Sam to me and back to the paper in his hand.

_What are they arguing about?_ I asked the only person in the room who may would give me an answer.

_They try to settle who is going to get naughty with you._ Crowley answered in a way too cheerful tone.

_What do you mean? _A few not so pleasant thoughts crept into my mind, pretty much the effect he'd wanted to cause.

_Don't get your panties in a twist. This ain't getting naughtier than you and me right now._

_You mean …?_ Realization dawned on me. They were arguing over which of them I should possess?

_Took you long enough, mate. How did you finish med school?_

I ignored him for now and focused on the argument going on in front of me.

While I'd been busy with the conversation in my head Sam had taken pity on the other two left out of the loop and had clued them in. Now all four of them were telling each other how stupid the idea was and that Dean due to his shoulder was out of this. Not that he was ready to accept that fact.

"Yeah, Sam?" He straightened up but it lost a bit of its effect when he had to take a sharp inhale when the pain sparked with the movement. "Who else could do it? You? That's the last thing you want to happen to you."

"I could do it." Kevin piped up but both brothers ignored him.

"At least this time I've a choice." Sam countered. " And _I _wouldn't come out with permanent damage."

"Says you." Dean shot back. "When have you ever come out of something like this without damage?"

"This is different and you know it."

"I could do it." Kevin repeated, louder now but with the same effect as before. Which was none.

"I think Kevin is right." At least Castiel seemed to have noticed what the teenager was saying. Apparently what I was thinking of the whole situation was no point of discussion. Not that I had an idea what to think of the situation, anyway. Fucked up, maybe.

_While they sort this out, you and me could do something productive,_ Crowley suggested. _Whoever it's going to be, you'll need to know how to get in there. Believe me, that's going to be a tight one._

_You doing this on purpose?_

He didn't answer and turned around to have a look at Georgy still lying motionless in the bed. I couldn't turn my head but I still heard them arguing behind my back. Nobody was paying attention to us. Which was probably not good.

_You're way too tense,_ Crowley said but didn't give back the control to me. Once again he could do whatever he wanted. _Right now I want to teach you how to ride your man._

_Does everything you have to say about this has to be a stupid pun?_

_Watch and learn._ Instead of an answer images flashed in my mind. I can't put it in words, it was way more than just words, it was images, feelings, which flooded my mind. However, I got the idea behind this. In fact, it didn't seem that difficult. In theory.

"Luis?" A voice pierced through the tornado in my mind, faint as if there was a large distance between us. "Dammit, Crowley. Bring him back."

Slowly I surfaced. Everybody's eyes were on me and Sam stood next to me, I'd no clue when he'd come over, in a dangerous posture as if he was about to strike. I didn't see his knife but I was pretty sure he had it on him.

"I'm here." I said. "Just spaced out for a minute." It may actually had been two minutes or longer. The images in my mind faded and I felt more like myself again but it left me with an uneasy feeling that I had tuned out everything around me for a while. I couldn't tell if they had come to an agreement. Or if Crowley had done something while I hadn't been watching.

"You okay?" The dangerous look left Sam's face and now he watched me in concern.

"I'll feel better as soon I got the bullet out and my mind for myself again." I tried to joke but the words came out more hoarse than intended. I licked my lips. "Can we get this show on the road now?" I asked, almost pleaded. You can get used to a lot, I knew that and I was kind of okay with my situation but at that point I was ready to get it over with. One way or another.

"Yeah." Sam cleared his throat and threw a glance back at his brother. Under other circumstances I would have smirked at that, no matter how big or old Sam got, he was still the little brother looking at his big brother for guidance. "I'm going to assist you during the surgery." He didn't sound happy with that decision.

"So Kevin?" I asked, looking at the teenager. He may have been older than I guessed but not by much. However, I'd noticed the haunted look in his eyes before. No matter how young he was, he'd seen his fair share of horror already.

_You've no idea._

Despite that, Kevin did seem nervous.

"I've the spell." He smoothed out the paper he'd clutched in his hand. "But Sam said it won't be easy for you to possess somebody."

"It usually takes years of practice before a ghost can do anything like that." Sam confirmed. "But I guess Crowley can help you with that."

"Already did, Moose." Crowley took over. "We're way ahead of you."

"You think Luis can do this?" Sam directed his question at Crowley and once again I felt left out, as if I was just a bystander in this scenario.

"He had me as his teacher." That sounded more confident than he felt, I could tell, but we would only know for sure when I'd actually tried it.

"Then let's do this." Dean slammed his fist on the bed, on the soft surface it didn't make much of a sound but it got us going.

I had one last check on George, he was stable for now but we shouldn't waste any more time.

All three – or four? – of us prepared ourselves for surgery. It was weird to disinfect my own chest and then lay down on the table by myself but we wanted to do the merry-go-round as late in the process as possible.

I wasn't sure if we should use anesthesia, though. Crowley could lay still and suppress the pain just fine while I would dig around in his chest.

Y_ou'll have to come back here while you're still on the table._ He pointed out to me. _And by then I'll be gone._

_Good point._

The anesthesia didn't affect him much but later on I would be grateful for it.

Kevin and Sam had changed into operation gowns as well and if I was honest, Kevin looked like a kid playing dress up.

We were as ready as we would ever get so I gave them one last nod before I laid back to wait for the things to come.

Kevin started to recite something in what I recognized as Latin but I didn't understand the meaning of the words. At one point Sam painted something on my forehead with my own blood, the doctor in me cringed at that biohazard but I kept my mouth shut.

Kevin finished the spell and then there was that one moment I thought only happened on TV when nothing happens and everybody thinks it didn't work. However, a second later something did happen. I felt something like a pull or maybe a shove and then the world tilted. One second I was looking at the ceiling and the next I was vertical again.

"Luis?" Sam asked but not in my direction.

"Luis has left the building." A voice answered that somewhat sounded like mine. The kind of mine I knew from recordings, that never sounded like mine but everybody told me it totally did.

Looking around I tried to get my bearings. I stood opposite of Sam and Kevin with the table between us. And of course my body, now only occupied by Crowley.

"I'm here." I said but they didn't seem to hear. "Hey!" I tried louder and waved my hand in front of Sam's face. He looked right through it. However, he was looking around, searching for me.

They had told me that this whole ghost thing wasn't easy but I hadn't figured they wouldn't even able to see me. But seeing me wasn't the important point here anyway.

"I can do this." I reassured myself and stepped around the table to get closer to Kevin. I didn't quite manage to turn the corner properly and bumped into the edge of the table but to my surprise it went right through my leg. At that sight I swallowed thickly but then I forced myself to focus on Kevin.

"Luis?" He spoke and for a second I thought he could see me but his eyes went straight through me. "I'm ready."

This felt wrong on so many levels but I shoved my doubts into the depth of my mind. One glance at the rectangle of bare skin, covered with the orange disinfectant framed by green operation drape, told me that this way my only chance. The bullet wound looked almost harmless but the entry point always did.

"I can do this." I repeated and tried to remember the things Crowley had shown me. It had seemed so simple at that point but now I wasn't so sure if I could do it.

At my first try I stumbled through Kevin without getting a hold on him. He did shiver at that attempt, though.

"Kevin?" Sam had noticed it too.

"I think he just tried to ..." He made a gesture at himself. His brave facade was fragile at best and I wondered if Sam wouldn't be the better candidate here after all. But I would need somebody to assist me and Sam was better at that. At least he had some experience with this.

Taking a breath, figuratively, I turned around to try again.

Focus, I told myself. Straightening up I stepped closer to the oblivious boy in front of me. There was something like a flicker.

"Luis." Sam breathed and I had only a second to realize that he could see me. Then I stepped into Kevin and grabbed him. It wasn't a physical thing, more a state of the mind, but I managed to get a hold on him. He started to slip out of my grip and for a moment I was sure that I would just step through him again but then something in our minds clicked and I was there.

It was a weird feeling and nothing like what I'd gotten used to with Crowley.

_Kevin?_ I asked into his mind but there was no response. I felt him, yes, he was there, watching, but for some reason he couldn't answer me.

Slowly I raised my hands and turned them.

"Luis, is that you?" Sam asked, watching me closely.

"It's me." I dropped my hands, they were smaller than the ones I was used to, I should keep that in mind, and stepped closer to the table. Taking a deep breath I held on hand out to Sam. "Scalpel."


	13. Chapter 13

I can truly say, that was the most surreal moment of my life. Cutting into my own chest lying in front of me. The body was eery silent and unmoving, there was no vent, no beeping of a heart monitor, it was like working on a dead body. Except for the fact this body wasn't dead and that it was my job to keep it that way. I had my own life in my hands, literally.

What I was about to do was difficult under best circumstances and this was far from a best case scenario. I had only Sam as my nurse and I had to focus to not loosen my grip on the body I was currently occupying. At least Kevin was silent and didn't interrupt me with snarky comments.

"You okay?" Sam asked when I hesitated for a second. I nodded, not trusting my voice. I took a deep breath and then forced my mind into doctor modus.

This was a patient, I was a surgeon. I could do this.

A similar situation came to mind. When I had to open Sam's head a long time ago. The first time I had him on my table I hadn't known it was my old Stanford buddy Sam Winchester but the second time I'd been fully aware that I had my hands in my friends head. I had done it then, I could do it now. This was not that much different. Except that it was.

"Let's open him up." I had to spread the rips to get access to the heart and never before had the sound of the ribcage getting opened like this made me shiver. But this was my ribcage that now looked like there had been a chestburster been through.

I didn't know how conscious Crowley was, his face was hidden behind some surgical drape, and for a second I wondered what this must be like for him. He didn't say a word, didn't twitch and so I could pretend that my patient was under like he should be. Maybe the anesthesia did have some effect on him after all.

With the first steps done I became more calm, more focused and in the end I couldn't even tell how long the procedure went. It was tricky and I wasn't sure if my patchwork would hold but Castiel had offered his assistance afterwards so it should be fine. However, I trusted my work more than some mystical angelic power so I did my best patching up the heart and when I finally stitched up the wound I was pretty sure that my chances of survival weren't too bad.

"Are we done?" Crowley asked from behind the drape but still didn't move. "Just for the record, let's not do this again."

"In a minute." I told him while Sam put the last tools aside. Our gloves were bloody, mine up to the elbow, and I refused to think about the fact that this was all my blood. At least part of it. I didn't ask where Sam had gotten the blood packs we'd used.

"Let's roll him over so we can hook him up to the support." I said, painfully aware of the fact that this wasn't a fully equipped hospital. We had only one life support at hand and that was currently in use. If George was still alive, it had been a few hours at least.

Together we wheeled the gurney out of the room and parked it next to the bed where George still lay like we'd left him.

"Did everything went well?" Castiel asked, a curious eye first on me and then on Crowley. Behind him I noticed Dean sleeping in his bed. Looked like he'd finally succumbed to the painkillers I'd given him. He didn't even stir when we came into the room.

"As well as we could expect." I answered vaguely. We would only know for sure when my heart was beating again without Crowley's assistance.

Before it was time for Crowley and me to get back in our own bodies, I had to attach myself to the machine. I trusted myself more than Sam to do this right so I borrowed Kevin's body for a little while longer. I was sure that Castiel would do his best healing me but my life depended on this so I rather made it double sure.

Crowley's body wasn't breathing on its own and I wasn't sure if the heart was still beating so it was now or never.

"Okay." I said with one last glance at the not so vital vitals of my own body, Crowley hadn't loosen his hold on my heart yet, but otherwise everything was at least hooked up correctly. "Get over there."

I wasn't sure what to expect, I had a vague memory of black smoke forcing its way down my throat, but seeing the dark cloud evaporating from my body's mouth and moving over to the other bed was way more disturbing than I remembered. Georg's body arched in the bed while the monitor next to me came to life, telling me that my heart was beating again. The next second Castiel had his hand over my chest and then there was a blinding light.

However, what happened after that I don't know. I recall a feeling like I was snapped out of Kevin's body but then everything went dark.

I may have drifted in and out a few times but I woke up for real three days later.

Without opening my eyes, I took stock of myself first. When I asked a hesitant _Hello?_ into my mind there was no answer, which counted as a good sign. My body felt right again, so I guessed that I was back to where I belonged. Satisfied with that I drifted back to sleep.

When I woke up the next time I was more aware of my surroundings. Slowly I blinked my eyes open to take the room in. First thing I notice was that I was alone. The other three beds were empty and stripped bare. When I glanced over to where the monitor stood, the screen was dark.

I wasn't attached to more than a catheter, which was embarrassing enough by itself, and the only thing reminding me of my injuries was a bandage around my torso and a pulling sensation in the depth of my chest every time I took a breath.

I used the chance while I was alone to get the catheter out. I could go to the bathroom myself just fine now, thank you very much, and the last thing I wanted was for Sam to pull it out. Worse enough that he had to put it in.

That done I had time to think about the fact that I was alone.

Where was everybody? I would have liked to just turn over and go back to sleep but this worried me.

"Hello?" I tried to call out but my throat was dry and I doubted my voice carried far enough for anybody to hear. At least there was a glass of water on the nightstand. It tasted stale like it had been there for a while but I drank it greedily anyway.

"Anybody here?" I asked louder this time.

"You're awake." Castiel suddenly appeared at the side of my bed. "I think it's appropriate to ask how you feel." He paused as if he wasn't sure about the rules of bedside manners. "How do you feel?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Good." I answered. I wasn't in pain, my head was clear and if I was honest I was a little hungry. "Where is everybody?"

"It's two in the morning, the others are sleeping."

"Oh." I dropped back into my pillow. "They left you to night watch duty?"

He tilted his head, processing the question.

"Sam asked me to have an eye on you."

"How long have I been out?" I had the feeling that it had been longer than a few hours.

"A little over three days." He confirmed my suspicions.

"Crowley?"

"He escaped."

"What? How? I thought he can't just teleport out of here."

"It looks like he had prepared a banishing sigil next to his bed." Castiel looked uncomfortable like it had been his fault. I remembered the moment when Crowley had taught me how to possess somebody. I'd been completely out of it for a few minutes. More than enough time to prepare something.

"What did this banishing thing do?" I could take a guess from the name but I still had no idea how it actually worked.

"He used the moment when I tried to heal you to finish it, sending me away. Then he ran."

Crowley had said something about sending the angel away, I remembered that. With the angel out of the picture it would have been easy for him to escape.

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault." If I hadn't been so stupid in the first place …

"You didn't know."

I nodded to that, not really convinced but there was nothing I could do, the damage was done. Speaking of damage.

"How's my …" I gestured at my bandaged chest.

"I managed to heal you far enough to make a full recovery before Crowley used the sigil." He answered. "However, you barely needed my assistance, you would have survived without my help."

"Survived maybe." I knew too well how my chances had been. "But not to a full recovery. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He paused, looking me over. "Are you in need of more pain relievers?"

"I'm good."

He shifted a little to find a more comfortable stance and he didn't look like he intended to move any time soon. "You should sleep, your body needs rest."

"Are you the doctor now?" I asked but drew the blanket up to my chin, I could do with a little more shuteye.

"I'm not a doctor."

I smiled to that and wondered when I'd become comfortable with joking around with an angel. Not that Castiel looked like an angel. Most of the time I could forget that he was more than just a guy. A weird one but still just a guy.

"How's Kevin doing?" I only remembered him when I was already half-asleep and if I'm honest, I felt ashamed of that. I had violated that poor boy in ways I had no words for and then I totally forgot to ask how he was doing.

"He's fine."

"I didn't hurt him, did I?"

"Ghost possession doesn't hurt."

"I don't mean physically."

"Kevin is fine." Cas reassured me. "Believe me, he's been through worse."

Once again wondering what that boy had been through I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning I smelled coffee and opened my eyes to Sam sitting on the bed next to mine with a loaded tray on the nightstand between us.

"You hungry?" He asked and filled a cup with coffee. "Cas told me you woke up last night. How do you feel?"

"Good." And I would feel even better with some caffeine in my system. "How are the others?"

Castiel had told me that Kevin was fine and he hadn't mentioned Dean so I guessed he was doing good as well but I wasn't sure if I trusted the angels assessment of their health status.

"You're the one in a hospital bed." Sam pointed out.

"Sorry I screwed up like this." I couldn't say it often enough. The whole mess had been my fault. And now Crowley was out there again. I didn't know what he was doing but it couldn't be something good, that much was for sure.

"Don't worry about it." Sam handed me a plate with muffins. "You don't even make it into the top ten of the biggest screw-ups in the history of the Winchesters."

Nibbling at my muffin I wondered what did make it into the top ten. I knew exactly what Crowley would have to say to that and I made a mental note to find out more about those ominous books.

After I'd slept some more.


	14. Chapter 14

Six months later ...

I think I've finally settled down.

After my incident with Crowley I had been out of commission for a while but not for as long as I would have expected. Sam and Dean let me stay at the bunker as their guest until I was well enough to stand on my own feet again, in more than one way.

I never returned to Chicago, the short trip to get my stuff and tie up loose ends didn't count, but I had been about to skip that place anyway.

What I didn't expect was for me to stay in Lebanon. It turned out that Dean was friends with Margret from the grocery store and with Karl who owned the only gas station in town and with those two combined Dean had access to all the town's gossip. So when he heard that the only reason old Doc Mannoc hadn't retired yet was because he was the only doctor around and just couldn't find somebody to take over his office, Dean asked me if I was interested.

He may had his hidden agenda there, he and Sam were in need of a good doctor more often than not, but for some reason I really liked the idea. And I would have the chance to reconnect with Sam, maybe even get to know the man he'd become after he'd left Stanford all those years ago.

A nice little chat with Doc Mannoc, an elderly man who didn't take nonsense, and a look at the office rooms and I was in. The equipment wasn't new but not as old as the stuff the Winchesters had at the bunker. And once again Dean surprised me.

I didn't know where he got it, and I really didn't want to ask, but one evening Dean handed me a brown envelope stuffed with thick bundles of bills.

"Dean ..." I started but had no idea what to say. "I can't take this."

"Course you can." He refused to take the envelope back. "After what you did for us, this is the least I can do."

"Well, I was the one who messed up with Crowley." I reminded him but accepted the money.

"He would have gotten away one way or another." Dean shrugged. "Just take the money and set up your new doctor's office. We need a good doctor around here."

I was pretty sure that he wasn't talking about the townspeople. Not only.

After that everything became a blur. Before I knew it I lived above the office in a nice little apartment and the office itself was all new and shiny. Margret and Karl spread the word that there was a new doctor in town and on my first official day everybody came to have a look.

Everybody was nice and I got more cobblers than I could eat in my life and even that one old lady that eyed me as if I was Dr. Lecter or something couldn't dampen my mood. She had a suspicious eye on Sam and Dean as well and later Margret told me that I shouldn't mind her, everybody newer than three generations was either a terrorist or some kind of hippie to her. Not that there was a difference between those in her mind.

I just nodded to that but breathed easier when Margret guided the old hag out of the room.

"Nice people." Sam appeared next to me, a nervous smile on his lips. Crowds weren't his thing. While Dean was well known in town, Sam seemed to be a bit of a mystery and people used the chance to have a little chat with him to get to know him better. They did the same with me but contrary to Sam I could tell the truth about what and where I'd worked before.

When the question came up of how I'd met the Winchesters I could tell that I knew Sam from college, throwing them a bone about Sam as well.

"Chicago?" Karl asked, shoving his hat back to scratch his scalp. "Why would you leave Chicago and settle down in Lebanon?"

"It was a good time." I answered. "But it was loud and hectic and I think it's time to slow down a little."

Karl nodded to that but didn't look convinced. He probably couldn't imagine that somebody could find Lebanon appealing.

After our little opening event things settled down rather quickly. My office wasn't that busy and I enjoyed taking my time with my patients who often liked to stay for a little chat.

What I didn't expect was one evening to find a rather ragged man banging at my door.

"Sam told me to come here." He said when I opened the door, holding his bleeding side. "He said you knew."

I let him in and set him up on my examination table.

"What did this?" I asked when I peeled the layers of clothing from his battered torso.

He hesitated for a moment but then answered: "Werewolf."

He had a suspicious eye on me and his right hand stayed near his jacket next to him where he had a gun hidden, no doubt about that.

"You didn't get bitten, didn't you?" The wounds were clearly claw marks but he might have other injuries.

At that question the tension melted out of his body and now he used both hands to brace himself on the table, the gun forgotten.

"Just claws."

"Let's clean this up, then."

And with that I became the Doc Who Knows.

At day I took care of the little aches and pains of the townsfolk but sometimes at night I took care of injured hunters. And from time to time my visits to the bunker weren't just friendly visits either.

Life was good and I finally had the feeling that I was where I belonged. It was a good feeling.

One morning, I was just sipping my first coffee and not really awake just yet, I went to get the newspaper and found a package on my front porch.

The card only read "A Friend".

Curious I carried it inside. It was rather heavy and for a moment I thought about calling Sam. Who knew what was inside? For all I knew this could be a supernatural bomb or something.

Carefully I cut it open and peered inside. Books.

"Uh?" I took out the first one. "_Supernatural_ by Carver Edlund."

*****end*****

* * *

_That's all folks. Thanks to all of you, you're great._

_NaNoWriMo starts in a few hours and I'll be busy over November with that. So don't expect a new story before December._


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